Tharandt Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Tharandt, Germany

Burg Tharandt is the ruin of a spur castle on a rocky ridge above the town of Tharandt, enclosed by the Schloitzbach and the Wilde Weißeritz. Only a few structural remains survive: a reddish-brown and grey wall of rough, uneven masonry runs along the ridge, its tall blocky left section pierced by two small rectangular window openings, one above the other, while the wall continues lower to the right. Tall trees stand behind and below the ruin.

The castle was built in the early 1200s under Margrave Dietrich of Meissen as a small fortress. His successor Margrave Heinrich expanded it over the following decades into a considerably larger stronghold.

The ruin is a popular walking destination for people from Tharandt and nearby villages, who come up the hill for a short outing. Wooden tables and benches in the courtyard invite visitors to sit down and take in the view.

The ruin sits on a rocky spur above the Wilden Weißeritz and Schloitzbach streams, reached by a path from the town. The only medieval entrance lay at the lower ward, where the stairway to the church now climbs. The upper ward holds an open-air stage built in the later 20th century, so parts of the grounds may be in use for performances.

During the Hussite raid of 1429, valuable documents and treasures of the Electoral House were brought to the castle for safekeeping. This shows the site was still trusted as a place of refuge at that point, even though it no longer played a leading military role.