Burg Volmarstein, Medieval castle ruin in Volmarstein, Germany.

Burg Volmarstein is a ruin on a ridge about 100 m above the Ruhr, its elongated plan adapted to the shape of the hilltop. Of the core castle, three towers survive in part, with outer baileys at both ends. The main tower is a tall cylinder of rough light-brown stone with a flat top and small dark openings, braced by a masonry support built against its split side; a curved wall with a metal railing forms a lower terrace.

The castle was built around 1100 by Archbishop Friedrich I of Cologne as a fortification and later became central to regional power dynamics. Under Count Engelbert II, it suffered severe destruction in 1324 that eventually left it in ruins.

The castle's name comes from the noble family of Volmestein, first documented in 1134 with Heinrich I; the settlement that grew below the walls was already called a "town" from 1307. Three stone plaques on the surviving half-tower record the construction of 1100, the siege and destruction of 1324, and Count Siegfried von der Recke-Volmarstein, who fell at St. Privat on 18 August 1870.

You can reach the ruins through marked paths from the village center, with parking near Hauptstrasse or Volmarstein Dorfplatz station. The climb to the towers is generally possible on most days, though weather conditions may affect access.

After a major fire in 1754, villagers collected stones from the castle ruins and reused them to build new homes in the settlement. This practical repurposing connected the ruins to the village's building history.