Burg Saldenburg, Medieval castle in Saldenburg, Germany

Burg Saldenburg is a castle in Bavaria featuring a cube-shaped main residential building constructed from stone with a hipped roof. The structure was built in the 14th century and now operates as a youth hostel.

The castle was founded in 1368 by Heinrich Tuschl von Söldenau as a border fortification protecting trade routes toward Bohemia. A baroque transformation occurred in the late 1600s under the direction of Enrico Zuccalli.

The name Saldenburg translates as "Glücksburg" (castle of fortune). Locals call the main building the "Waldlaterne" (forest lantern) for its shape. The baroque chapel, built in 1680, is dedicated to the Three Kings; its ceiling painting shows the Circumcision of Christ and the altarpiece the Adoration of the Magi.

The castle operates as a youth hostel that welcomes guests with advance reservation. The location sits in a forested area, so planning your route ahead of time helps with accessibility.

The rectangular keep design came from Heinrich Tuschl's pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where crusader castles were often built as donjons. The five-storey tower with its tent-shaped roof stands above the ring wall, and a draw-well sits in the courtyard reached by a wooden bridge over the moat.