Hirschburg, Castle ruin in Hirschberg an der Bergstraße, Germany

Hirschburg is a medieval castle ruin sitting on high ground at the western edge of the Odenwald forest. Its remains include a round defensive tower built from granite rubble that is still visible today.

The castle was founded around 1200 by the Strahlenberger family in the region. Its period as a functioning fortress proved relatively short before the residents moved elsewhere.

The name Hirschburg derives from the Hirschberger family, later spelled Hirzberger, who likely built both castles on the Hirschberg. After the family died out with Eberhard von Hirzberg in the first quarter of the 13th century, the new knightly lords also called themselves "von Hirschberg". A sunken path still connects the Hirschburg with the Schanzenköpfle ruin 500 metres to the southeast.

A sunken path leads up to the castle ruins through what was once a frequently used passage. Other historical sites in the area can be reached on foot by following the connecting trails.

The castle on the Hirschberg was probably not the original Hirschburg: pottery finds suggest the Schanzenköpfle, 500 metres to the south-east, was built first, perhaps in the early 12th century. The name Hirschburg later shifted to the site built around 1200.