Löwenburg and Philippsburg

Löwenburg and Philippsburg are two medieval castle ruins that stand on a mountain spur above the Elzbach valley near Monreal. The sites sit beside each other and together shape the landscape with their stone walls and towers.

The castles were first mentioned in 1229 when Count Hermann III von Virneburg built Löwenburg on his brother Philipp's land. This construction sparked a dispute between the brothers that was later settled through legal agreements.

The two castles display medieval stone construction and tower designs that still convey their former strength. Visitors can observe the differences in scale and structure between the two sites during a walk around the ruins.

The ruins are accessible year-round and located along hiking trails that start near Untertorstraße and opposite Pfarrkirche Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit. The climb is manageable with hiking gear and offers views of the surrounding area on clear days.

French troops nearly destroyed both castles in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession. Today the ruins stand under state protection and show how medieval fortifications were transformed by warfare into the sites visitors encounter.