Burg Randeck, Medieval castle in Essing, Germany.

Burg Randeck is a ruined hill castle on a rocky spur at 490 m on the northern edge of the Altmühl valley above Essing. Surviving are outer walls, the castle dungeon, the windowless hunger tower and the 36 m bergfried of regular ashlar blocks, climbable as a viewing tower. A bridge over the moat, formerly a drawbridge, leads to the main buildings.

A first fortification on the site probably dates to the 10th century, built under Duke Arnulf I of Bavaria against Hungarian raids. The present castle was built in the 11th and 12th centuries by the Randecks. In 1298 it passed to the Babenbergs of Abensberg, known as robber barons; after their line died out in 1485 it fell to the Duchy of Bavaria.

The name Randeck refers to the rocky spur above Essing, and the castle was tied to the market below: Essing's residents owed labour services to their castle lord. The ruin belongs to the market town of Essing today, and its grounds host local events.

The easiest access to the site is from Essing, and visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the path up to the castle is steep. The best time to visit is during dry weather, when the walkways are safe to navigate.

The 36-metre bergfried is not intact: part of the castle collapsed in 1838, and the tower was later secured and partly rebuilt under Crown Prince Maximilian from 1842. Its regular ashlar masonry is unusually precise, and a staircase now leads to a viewing platform above Essing.