Ebersburg Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Ebersburg, Germany

Ebersburg Castle is a ruined hill castle on the Ebersberg at 689 m above sea level, 6.5 km southwest of the Wasserkuppe. Its polygonal main castle covers the whole plateau, with an outer bailey on a lower terrace to the east and a ring ditch with forewall to the east. The site is densely wooded, so mainly the towers rise above the canopy.

The fortress began its history around 1100 with initial construction and reached its largest form by the late 14th century. During the 16th century it was abandoned and gradually fell into ruin.

The castle reflects medieval building practices that developed in the region and shows how fortifications served as symbols of power embedded in the landscape. Visitors can still see the architectural remains and understand what such structures meant to people of that era.

The ruins are open to visit at any time since the site has no fixed opening hours and allows free access. To enter the observation tower, collect a key from a nearby location where it is kept for visitors.

The castle never had its own well, so it was unsuitable as a permanent residence and was abandoned in the 16th century. A 1430 Burgfrieden (castle peace agreement) required the one Ganerbe allowed to live there to pay the tower staff, gatekeepers and watchmen, while each of the eight co-owners contributed money and grain and sent four armed men in wartime.