Burg Rodenstein, Medieval castle ruins in Fränkisch-Crumbach, Germany

Burg Rodenstein are ruins of a medieval fortress built on a hillside with granite stone and rounded corners. The structure has a rectangular layout with its southwestern side reinforced to face the mountain slope.

The fortress was built around 1240 to defend against the nearby Reichenberg Castle. It remained inhabited until 1635 when the last members of the Rodenstein family died from plague.

The castle's name comes from the Rodenstein family, who held it from the 13th century. A sketch by Valentin Wagner from 1634 shows the site as a densely built late-medieval castle with a mill tower, a timber-framed upper storey and a steep hipped roof. A display board at the now wooded spot reproduces Wagner's view.

The ruin stands on a slope at 322 m, about 3.5 km west-southwest of Fränkisch-Crumbach and 2.7 km northwest of Reichelsheim; both places connect to it. A panel at the now wooded spot shows Valentin Wagner's 1634 view of the castle. The core area has no keep, and the entrance lies on the valley side.

A stone dated 1593 from the original castle gateway now marks the entrance to the nearby Hofgut Rodenstein timber-framed building. This structure houses a restaurant and preserves a piece of the old fortress in its modern setting.