Waldeck Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Dorweiler, Germany.

Waldeck Castle is the remains of a medieval fortification that stands on a hilltop in Rhineland-Palatinate. The ruins consist of stone walls and show the typical layout of a hill fortress overlooking the surrounding landscape.

The first documented mention of the castle dates to 1243, when the knights Heribert, Udo and Winand von Waldeck enfeoffed it to the Archbishop of Cologne, Konrad von Hochstaden. Around 1250 a lower bailey was added; in 1398 Count Palatine Ruprecht seized the site and built a new tower. French troops burned the castle in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession, and around 1850 its stone was partly taken for building.

Since around 1910 the site has been used by the Wandervogel youth movement; in 1920 the Oelbermann brothers and Kurt Lorenz discovered it for the Nerother Wandervogel. The Waldeck Festivals were held here, and today the Nerother Wandervogel owns the castle grounds while the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Burg Waldeck owns the forecourt.

Access to the ruins varies depending on weather conditions, so sturdy footwear is recommended since the ground can be uneven. The views are best on clear days when you can see far across the landscape.

From 1910 the site became a meeting place for the Wandervogel youth movement; in 1920 the Oelbermann brothers and Kurt Lorenz discovered the ruin for the Nerother Wandervogel, which still owns the castle grounds today, while the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Burg Waldeck owns the forecourt.