Hiltpoltstein Castle, Medieval castle in Hiltpoltstein, Germany

Hiltpoltstein Castle is a three-winged structure perched atop a dolomite crag approximately 530 meters high, dominating the village of Hiltpoltstein in Upper Franconia, Bavaria. The building combines several interconnected wings with elements spanning different periods, creating a compact fortified complex on its rocky foundation.

The castle rock was first mentioned in a 1139 document, and a late Ottonian bronze disc fibula found during the 1960s renovation suggests activity there around 1000. The present three-winged form dates to renovations around 1595. The octagonal bergfried was struck by lightning and burned out in 1611, then reduced to a stump.

The name "Old Palace" (Altes Schloss) distinguishes the medieval castle from the Pflegschloss below, which locals long called the "New Palace". The Pflegamt Hiltpoltstein held its offices and courtrooms in the Pflegschloss until 1806. During the Thirty Years' War the walled church and castle courtyard served the villagers as a refuge during sieges.

The only route up to the castle runs through the gateway of the Pflegschloss, then past the 1712 stables and up steps to the hexagonal stair tower. The castle itself is not open to visitors; it is viewed from the village lanes and from the surrounding heights.

The fixed wooden footbridge between the 1595 stair tower and the south wing was installed in 1807 after the drawbridge became unsafe; the chain grooves of the old drawbridge are still visible at its sides. The bridge also gave villagers access to the cistern in the rock, which supplied drinking water around 1800.