Burg Henneberg, Medieval castle ruin in Meiningen, Germany

Burg Henneberg is a castle ruin near Meiningen, sitting at around 510 meters (1,670 ft) elevation, with sections of a circular rampart, remains of a residential hall, and a partly standing tower. The layout of the site makes it easy to read the original plan of a medieval fortress built for both living and defense.

The castle is first documented in 1096 with Count Godebold II and his brother Poppo von Henneberg. Around 1220 to 1274 it was extensively rebuilt with the present keep, a palais and much of the ring wall. In May 1525 Bildhäuser peasants took and plundered it; after the male line died out in 1583 it was gradually demolished.

The Counts of Henneberg gave their name to the surrounding region, and the ruin still carries that connection today. Walking through the grounds, visitors can see wall sections that once formed the center of a wide territory.

The approach climbs along the west side of the hill, passes through the excavated first gate and leads through the zwinger to the second gate at the northeast corner. The ground is uneven, so sturdy shoes help. The tower added around 1880 is not described in the sources as accessible for climbing.

The tower added around 1880 is not the medieval keep, which was already being dismantled from 1576. The castle was taken and plundered without a fight in May 1525 by the Bildhausen peasant band during the Franconian Peasants' War, though the extent of the damage remains unclear.