Ringwall Gickelsburg, Celtic hillfort on the Gickelsburg in the Hochtaunus, Hesse, Germany

The Ringwall Gickelsburg is a prehistoric hilltop fortress in Friedrichsdorf with the remains of an oval stone wall from the late Hallstatt period. The wall was built from stacked stones without mortar and strengthened with wooden supports to make the structure more stable.

The ringwall was built during the late Hallstatt period when early communities protected their settlements with fortifications. Over the centuries, stones from the site were taken for other building projects, which partially destroyed the wall.

The name Gickelsburg comes from the hill itself. Local signs today invite visitors to build small stone towers and other figures from the loose stones lying around, so many such arrangements now stand along the walls. Paths and wall lines marked with placed stones do not reflect the historical layout.

The site is located in a wooded area east of Friedrichsdorf and is easy to reach on foot, with the path leading through quiet forest trails. Visitors can explore the wall remains, and marked paths are available for walking and exploring the surrounding area.

The main rampart was a dry-stone wall about 4.2 m wide, while the outer rampart 2 m away held remains of wooden reinforcement inserts. Excavations by Christian Ludwig Thomas in 1912 yielded finds from the Late Hallstatt and Early La Tène periods. Before research began, the rampart was quarried for stone.