Trifels Castle, Medieval rock castle in Annweiler am Trifels, Germany

Trifels Castle stands on a red sandstone rock split into three parts, on the 479-metre Sonnenberg above Annweiler am Trifels. Its rectangular keep of reddish-brown stone has a hipped red tile roof and a narrow flag; a ruined stone gateway with two pillars and an arched top stands to the right. The complex is partly restored but largely not true to the medieval original.

Emperor Henry V designated this site as an Imperial Castle in 1113 and made it a central location for storing the crown jewels. The complex also served as a prison for high-ranking nobles, including Richard the Lionheart in 1193.

Replicas of the crown jewels inside show the symbols of power used by German emperors during medieval times. Visitors can see these ceremonial objects in a chamber that recalls the period when Trifels safeguarded the most valuable treasures of the realm.

Marked hiking trails lead up from Annweiler to the fortress, with the ascent taking about half an hour. Guided tours run throughout the year in several languages, and the rooms connect through stairways.

The name Trifels comes from the three-part red sandstone rock beneath the castle, 145 m long, 40 m wide and 50 m high, which forms the top of the 479 m Sonnenberg. The two ruined castles Anebos and Scharfenberg, called Münz, stand on separate peaks southeast of the main castle, on the forest district of Leinsweiler.