Burgruine Riegelstein, Medieval castle ruin in Betzenstein, Germany.

Burgruine Riegelstein is a medieval castle ruin located on a 589-meter-high mountain near Betzenstein, with preserved ramparts and foundation walls in the forest. The site shows the typical structure of a hilltop fortress with defensive ditches surrounding the peak that once made ascent difficult.

The Türriegel family built the castle around 1200 and held it for nearly 400 years until their line ended. Bavarian troops destroyed it completely after 1642, and by the early 1700s it had become a totally abandoned ruin.

The castle gave its name to the Türriegel family, who called themselves 'zum Riegelstein' after making it their seat, and the nearby village of Raupersdorf was renamed Riegelstein after the castle. Today the castle rock is used as a climbing rock.

The hike to the ruins starts from near Riegelstein village and follows a forest path heading west. The trail is easy to walk, taking about an hour total with a gradual climb through the woodland.

A 1792 scale map by Johann Christoph Stierlein still shows wall lines and a well or cistern that are no longer visible on the ground. Visitors today find only two ditches and a few unsecured wall remains, which the sources describe as threatened by complete disappearance.