Alte Veste, Medieval castle in Zirndorf, Germany

Alte Veste is a ruin on the highest point of the Rosenberg, north of Zirndorf. Its surviving feature is a tall, angled wall of rough, light brown and reddish sandstone blocks: a long, sloping retaining wall of large irregular stones rises to the right, and above it a narrower vertical section has small, dark rectangular window openings. A tree trunk grows against the upper left portion, its branches spreading across the masonry. A paved area with parked vehicles lies in the foreground.

The castle originated in the medieval period and underwent multiple reconstructions and expansions over the centuries. During the Thirty Years' War in 1632, it became the site of intense fighting between Imperial and Swedish forces.

The name Alte Veste, meaning "old fortress", replaced the earlier Burg Berch in the early 17th century; locals in the Franconian dialect call it "Ald(e) Festn". Since 2021 the site is part of the 20 km "Wallensteins Lager" trail, whose 28 information steles with QR codes recount the 1632 siege. A rebuilt section of Wallenstein's artillery redoubt stands 400 metres away.

The site is reached by Anliegerweg off Staatsstraße 2242 (Fürther Straße) north of Zirndorf; a car park lies directly below the ruin wall. The rebuilt tower is free to enter and gives views to Zirndorf, Fürth, Nuremberg and the Fränkische Schweiz. The cellar vaults are bricked up and cannot be entered. A signed loop through the forest marks Thirty Years' War sites, including a reconstructed artillery redoubt 400 m away.

The rectangular foundation walls of the demolished defensive tower can still be traced around the 1980 lookout tower, which was inaugurated on 17 September 1980 and has become Zirndorf's landmark. The tower is free to enter and serves the fire brigade as a BOS radio relay station.