Wachtenburg, Castle ruin in Wachenheim, Germany.
Located at 232 meters above sea level, Wachtenburg Castle features ancient stone walls and a rectangular keep overlooking the Palatinate wine region.
The oldest sections of Wachtenburg date to 1200, when Konrad von Hohenstaufen, half-brother of Emperor Barbarossa, initiated its construction as a spur castle.
The castle museum displays medieval artifacts including arrowheads, bullets, pottery, and stove tiles from 1180, illustrating local life through centuries.
Visitors reach the castle through multiple hiking trails, including the Pfälzer Weinsteig route, with a tavern offering regional food and beverages.
From the castle tower, visitors observe a panorama extending across the Rhine Valley to the distant Black Forest mountains.
Location: Wachenheim
GPS coordinates: 49.43620,8.17259
Latest update: May 14, 2025 20:09
Rhineland-Palatinate preserves centuries of European fortification architecture across a region shaped by river valleys and forested highlands. Medieval castles like Eltz Castle rise above the Moselle loop at Bremm, while Pfalzgrafenstein Castle sits on a Rhine island at Kaub, where it once controlled river traffic. Roman foundations lie beneath later structures such as Limburg Monastery near Bad Dürkheim, and Romanesque abbeys like Maria Laach demonstrate monastic design from the 11th century. The landscape ranges from the Teufelsfels rock formation in the Hunsrück to the ruins of Hardenburg, among the largest fortress complexes in the state. From the Rhine Valley with Stolzenfels Castle and the Loreley to the Palatinate fortresses of Hambach and Trifels, these sites document the region's strategic importance. Pyrmont Castle stands beside a waterfall near Roes, while the ruins of Frankenstein Castle near Kaiserslautern show medieval defensive works. Natural formations like the Kaltwasser Geysir at Andernach and the Geierlay Suspension Bridge at Mörsdorf complement the historical structures, providing access to the geological features between the Rhine, Moselle and Nahe rivers.
Heidenlöcher
2.3 km
Weingut Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
697 m
Forster Bruch
2.1 km
Schlosskirche Bad Dürkheim
2.9 km
Bad Dürkheim station
2.7 km
Villa rustica of Wachenheim
2.2 km
Flaggenturm
1.7 km
Klosterkirche Seebach
2 km
Dürkheimer Haus
2.7 km
Zeppelin-Tower
2.8 km
Michaelskapelle
2.4 km
Saint George Church
695 m
Burgkirche Bad Dürkheim
2.6 km
Rheingrabenrandstörung am Hahnenbühl
1.9 km
Amtsgericht Bad Dürkheim
2.2 km
Jüdischer Friedhof (Wachenheim)
1.2 km
Ebers-Berg
2.7 km
Hinkelstein (Deidesheim)
2.7 km
St. Margareta (Forst an der Weinstraße)
1.6 km
Kirchberg
2.4 km
Haardtrand - Am Bechsteinkopf
1.7 km
Vineyard house (Deidesheim)
2.3 km
Forster Freundstück
1.7 km
Wegekreuz in der Maushöhle
2.9 km
Haardtrand - Auf der Krähhöhle
1.7 km
Wetterkreuz
1.3 km
Loogfels Nr. 203
2.4 km
Freibad Wachenheim
891 mReviews
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