Burg Laaber, Medieval castle ruin in Laaber, Bavaria

Burg Laaber is a castle ruin standing near the St. Johannes Evangelist Church, with wall sections and structural foundations from the medieval period still visible. The site shows remains of defensive structures and stone foundations that once formed the original fortress.

The castle was built at the end of the 12th century by the Lords of Laaber, first documented in 1118 in connection with the founding of Reichenbach Monastery. They built it on behalf of Emperor Frederick II to control the river crossings and the royal road in the Laber valley. In 1389 the city of Regensburg attacked and damaged the castle during a feud with Hadamar IV von Laaber. In 1597 it was expanded into a palace-like structure, and from 1805 it fell into ruin.

The castle gave its name to the market of Laaber and its lords, who are first documented in 1118 in connection with the founding of Reichenbach Monastery. Hadamar IV von Laaber, son of the minnesinger Hadamar III, was mayor of Regensburg in 1367 and later feuded with the city, which attacked the castle in 1389. The rectangular keep and Romanesque window walls remain visible.

The ruin sits on marked walking paths and is freely accessible from outside. Sturdy footwear is recommended since the ground is uneven and some sections are overgrown.

The castle chapel stood behind the rectangular keep, whose stump still shows large, precisely cut ashlar blocks typical of around 1200. In the courtyard there was a cistern, and the southern and eastern walls of the residential buildings keep windows from the Romanesque period.