Wildenburg Castle, Castle ruin and observation tower in Kempfeld, Germany

Wildenburg is a ruined hilltop castle on the Wildenburger Kopf above the Idarbach valley near Kempfeld. Only a few wall remains of the upper bailey on the rock survive; a 22-metre observation tower was built there in 1980 and opened in 1981. The lower bailey, restored from 1859, has a gate tower, domestic buildings and an enceinte, now housing a castle café and the Hunsrück Club headquarters.

A Celtic refuge fort with double ramparts from the La Tène period (c. 450–50 BC) preceded the castle; a short section of the rampart was rebuilt as a Gallic wall (murus gallicus). Around AD 350 a late Roman fort stood here briefly. Wildgraf Friedrich von Kyrburg built the castle in the Late Middle Ages, first mentioned in 1330; Lorraine troops burned it in 1651, and after partial rebuilding in 1660 the lower bailey housed the Amt Wildenburg administration until the county was abolished in 1792.

The lower bailey serves as headquarters for the Hunsrück Club, an organization that maintains hiking trails and supports local traditions in the region. You can observe how this group shapes the landscape for outdoor activities around the castle.

Visitors can access both the observation tower and a café in the restored lower bailey while exploring the castle grounds. The site is accessible from outside and offers space to walk and rest at different spots.

At 630 meters above sea level, this structure stands at the highest castle location in the entire Hunsrück mountain range. This extreme elevation shapes the views and wind conditions that visitors experience at the top.