Burgruine Rupprechtstein, Medieval castle ruin in Etzelwang, Germany.

Burgruine Rupprechtstein stands on a 550-meter ridge in the Amberg-Sulzbach district and shows remains of a medieval castle with a tower base and vaulted cellars. The complex spreads across several areas that today appear as stone fragments.

The castle was built around the 13th century; the Lords of Rupprechtstein were first mentioned in 1243 in a document concerning Engelthal Monastery. From the 14th century until 1601 it was the seat of the Freudenberg family. In 1776 alterations and extensions took place, and by the first half of the 19th century the castle was considered decayed.

The ruins show building methods from different medieval periods that you can see in the walls and vaults. Visitors can understand how castles in this region were constructed and fortified.

Marked hiking paths lead to the ruin and the site can be visited throughout the year. Good footwear is recommended since the ground is uneven and sometimes slippery.

About 100 metres southeast of the ruin once stood the Wehrturm and Burgstall Trutziger Kaiser, a separate tower site recorded in the Bavarian monument list. It is a distinct monument, not part of a joint defensive system with Rupprechtstein. The main ruin itself keeps a tower stump, cellar vaults and a deep draw well.