Burg Elkofen, Medieval castle in Grafing, Germany

Burg Elkofen is a hill castle on a partly artificially steepened mound in Unterelkofen near Grafing. Its core is late Gothic, with a massive six-storey rectangular bergfried 33 metres high, a hipped roof, a high entrance at 18 metres and walls 2.25 metres thick at ground level. A three-storey palas and a Gothic wall-walk on an older ring wall stand on the south side, and the outer bailey is reached through a vaulted gatehouse with a segmental arch.

The castle traces its origins to the 11th century and first appeared in written records in 1040, when it was held by the Counts of Sempt-Ebersberg. It passed through noble families over the following centuries while keeping its medieval form largely intact.

The castle chapel is dedicated to Saint George and was built in 1516, then given a Baroque overhaul in 1720. Its winged altarpiece, carved between 1517 and 1520, is now kept in the Bavarian National Museum in Munich, so the chapel stands without the retable made for it.

Burg Elkofen is privately owned and lived in by the Rechberg family, so there is no general visitor access, no chapel entry and no set opening hours. The grounds lie on a partly artificially scarped hill above Unterelkofen near Grafing; the castle also serves as a conference venue. Views of the 33-metre bergfried and the gate building are possible from the surrounding area.

The altar that once stood in the castle chapel, decorated with carved figures, was moved to the Bavarian National Museum in Munich, where it is still on display. This means part of what originally belonged to this site can now be seen in a completely different setting across Bavaria.