Burg Altenwied, Medieval castle in Neustadt (Wied), Germany.

Burg Altenwied is a small spur castle on a rocky outcrop about 50 metres above the Wied valley, west of Neustadt (Wied) on the L 251 road to Linz am Rhein. The complex measures roughly 60 metres long and up to 26 metres wide. Its dominant element is the 17-metre-high pentagonal bergfried with a footprint of 15 by 9.5 metres, which again has a roof; the northern shield wall and other parts survive or were partly rebuilt.

The fortress was founded around 1100 as a seat for the Counts of Bilstein to administer their middle Rhine territories. It played an important role for a long time in regional control and securing this strategically valuable Rhine area.

The castle sits on a narrow mountain ridge and shapes how people see the middle Rhine valley today. Visitors immediately notice how its location was chosen for defense, experiencing the medieval idea of safety and control.

The fortress is visible from outside but cannot be visited from within. Those who want to photograph it or study its architecture find the best views from above and from the paths around the base walls.

The five-sided bergfried, 17 metres high with a footprint of 15 by 9.5 metres, lost its roof over the centuries and has since been given one again. The castle measures roughly 60 metres long and up to 26 metres wide, and the northern shield wall survives or was partly rebuilt. The whole complex is private and closed to the public.