Burgruine, Hill castle ruins in Wiesenttal, Germany

Burgruine is a ruined castle sitting on a hilltop in the Wiesenttal valley in Bavaria, with stone walls and foundations scattered across the site. The remains show where buildings once stood and how the fortress was organized on the slope.

The castle was probably built before 1120 by the Lords of Streitberg, first mentioned as Walter de Stritberc around 1120. In 1553 it was stormed and destroyed in the Second Margrave War, rebuilt from 1562 to 1565, and damaged again in 1632 during the Thirty Years' War. From 1657 to 1791 it served as a margravial administrative seat, and from 1811 to 1814 it was used as a quarry and almost completely demolished.

The ruins display how medieval nobility built their strongholds in Franconia and the construction techniques they used. Visitors can observe the remaining walls and foundations that reveal how people lived and organized their defenses in this era.

The site is accessible by hiking trails that lead up from the valley and connect to other medieval castles in the surrounding area. Wear sturdy shoes since the ground is uneven and can be slippery, especially after rain.

The two barrel-vaulted cellars below the vanished Renaissance main building survive, and beneath them a further cellar level was cut entirely out of the rock, containing a dungeon pit. The vaults are open to visitors in summer.