Hohenfels Castle, Medieval hill castle in Imsbach, Germany.

Hohenfels Castle is a ruin located at about 545 meters elevation in the Beutelfels Nature Reserve, where stone walls and defensive structures still remain. The hilltop location allowed those who occupied it to observe and control the valleys and routes below.

The Bolanden brothers Werner and Philip were enfeoffed with the castle in the 12th century; in 1222 Abbot Caesarius of Milendonk called it 'bonum castrum quod Hoviles appelatur'. Philip III of Bolanden-Hohenfels held it until 1277, and his sons shared it until 1290. In spring 1351 Walram of Sponheim and Henry of Veldenz, allied with Speyer and Worms, destroyed it after a long siege, and a contract barred rebuilding.

The castle reflects how local nobility maintained control over the surrounding lands and communities through military strength. It served as the center of regional authority and shaped life for people living in the valley below.

Access is via a steep walking path that starts from the Weiße Grube visitor mine and passes the Iron Man monument in Langental valley. The trail requires sturdy shoes and some stamina, so plan accordingly for the climb.

Excavations in 1932/33 by Speyer museum director Friedrich Sprater uncovered many stone slingshot balls from the 1351 siege; most were stored at the ruin until the 1960s and gradually disappeared, and some now sit on private walls in Imsbach. He also found a sandstone ball pointing to a small stone gun, one of Germany's earliest traces of such a weapon used in a castle siege.