Burg Sensenstein, Medieval castle in Nieste, Germany.

Burg Sensenstein is a vanished hilltop castle on the Gerholdsberg, about 355 m above sea level, south above the Nieste valley in the municipality of Nieste. Only high ramparts remain of the complex; all buildings were demolished, and the keep was blown up in 1677. Next to the site stands the Jugendburg Sensenstein, a youth and sports education centre of the Kassel district, whose administration occupies the well-preserved half-timbered house of the former estate inn.

Hermann II, Landgrave of Hesse, built Burg Sensenstein in 1372 as a counterpoint to the nearby Sichelnstein fortress in Brunswick territory. The von Berlepsch family took over the property from 1438 onward and left their mark on its walls.

The name Sensenstein comes from the German word for scythe, a deliberate choice to mirror the neighboring castle Sichelnstein, which means sickle stone. This playful naming reflects the rivalry that once existed between the two powers.

Visits work best during daytime hours when the facility hosts educational activities and groups. Wear sturdy shoes since the area is hilly and walking paths may be uneven.

Nothing of the castle itself stands today: its buildings were cleared away and the last remnant, a 22-metre bergfried, was blown up after 1677 under Count Dietrich von Kunowitz. Only high ramparts remain as a Bodendenkmal, and between the trees visitors look out over the Kassel basin toward the Kaufunger Wald.