Ehrenburg, Castle ruin in Brodenbach, Germany

Ehrenburg is a spur castle ruin on a rocky spur above the Ehrbach valley near Brodenbach. Its oldest surviving part is the upper bailey, a rectangular residential tower from the first half of the 12th century. A bridge over an artificial ditch leads through the two-storey Pfortenturm into the outer bailey, and a ring wall over 300 metres long encircles the site.

The oldest surviving parts, a rectangular residential tower, date to the first half of the 12th century. The castle was first recorded in 1161 as Castrum Eremberch, when Frederick Barbarossa settled a dispute between his half-brother Conrad of Hohenstaufen and Archbishop Hillin of Trier. In 1397 the last Ehrenberg knight destroyed over 200 houses in Koblenz; the city retaliated with a siege and cannon fire. French troops occupied the site in 1688 and blew up parts of it in 1689, sparing only the chapel.

The castle's name comes from the Ehrenberg spur, and the coat of arms of its knightly lords showed a golden bend on a blue field, later accompanied by crosses and, around 1480, golden lilies. Since 1993 the volunteer Friends of the Ehrenburg have maintained and rebuilt the ruin with private funds, and the site now hosts numerous events.

The site is normally accessible from spring through November and allows visitors to climb narrow stairs and walk along preserved walls while exploring the ruin. Wear sturdy footwear since the terrain is uneven and visibility can be limited in certain areas.

The lower ward's ring wall runs over 300 metres around the spur. Until 2010 a large breach gaped in it, where members of the Friends of the Ehrenburg had built a siege scene in 2004 with battering rams, cranes and a tall siege tower; the structures were later removed.