Katzenstein Castle, Medieval castle in Dischingen, Germany

Katzenstein Castle is a multi-part stone complex on a hill above the Katzensteiner Bach valley. Its oldest element is the roughly 30-metre-high Romanesque bergfried, the "Katzenturm", built of massive bossed ashlars with its original entrance seven metres up. A late Romanesque palas, a ring wall, a 13th-century chapel and the partly rebuilt 17th-century Neues Schloss complete the ensemble.

The castle was founded in 1099 under the Lords von Cassenstein, who served as ministerial knights for the Count of Dillingen. A major fire in 1648 led to reconstruction of much of the structure.

The castle chapel, dedicated to St. Laurentius, was cleaned in 1973, revealing frescoes painted between 1250 and 1280 beneath dirt and later Baroque paintings. They show the transition from Romanesque to early Gothic art. The lower defensive walkway now houses the castle tavern "Zum Marstall", while the upper walkway holds guest rooms.

Daytime visits work best to see all parts of the castle and the surrounding landscape clearly. Wear comfortable shoes as the hillside and uneven ground throughout the complex require steady footing.

The wall paintings in the chapel remained hidden for centuries under dirt and later decorations until they were rediscovered in 1973. This unexpected find revealed medieval artworks that might otherwise have been lost forever.