Burg Wernfels, Medieval castle in Spalt, Germany

Burg Wernfels stands on a wooded hill above the Rezat valley, opposite Abenberg Castle. Its oldest part is the three-storey main building of rusticated ashlar, with a side wing and traces of arcade windows marking a former hall. A ring wall about 45 by 50 metres encloses the core, and a stone bridge leads over the filled moat to the gatehouse.

The oldest part of the castle is the great residential building, dated by its early Gothic forms and a dendrodated wooden post in the cellar to the second half of the 13th century. The first indirect mention comes in 1283, when Albert II Rindsmaul of Wernfels appears in a document; the Rindsmaul family likely built the castle. In 1284 Albert sold it to Prince-Bishop Reinboto von Meilenhart of Eichstätt, whose successors expanded it in the 14th and 15th centuries with a ring wall and gate tower.

The castle displays architectural features from a 17th-century renovation commissioned by Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen, including wooden ceilings and window frames that still shape its interior. These crafted details show how the medieval structure was updated and adapted during that period.

The castle now operates as a hostel facility for group visits, so it is helpful to contact ahead about access and current conditions. The hilltop location means the approach involves climbing, so come prepared for walking uphill.

The castle's oldest structure is the great residential building, dated to the second half of the 13th century by early Gothic forms and a dendrodated wooden post in the cellar (after 1260, probably 1270/80). A document of 1283 names Albert II "dictus Rindesmul de Werdenfels", the first indirect mention of the castle.