Thierlstein, Medieval castle in Cham, Germany

Thierlstein is a two-winged castle complex on the Pfahl, a light quartz ridge. Its east part holds a three-storey half-hipped roof building with a round bergfried six metres in diameter, two-metre-thick rubble-stone walls and an entrance twelve metres up. A three-storey palas with altana and battlements adjoins it; the west building dates from the 18th century, and a granite wall with two flights of stairs, gates and a shell tower surrounds the site.

The fortress was first documented in 1125 and remained under the control of one family for many generations. A turning point came in 1620 when the family line ended through an important historical event.

The name Thierlstein derives from the Thierlinger family, first recorded in 1125, while the alternative name Lichtenstein refers to the light quartz rock of the Pfahl beneath the castle. Since 1899 the former estate buildings have housed the Schlossbrauerei Thierlstein, run by the Sauer family; Marie-Theres Fischer, born Sauer, renovated them between 2006 and 2008. Today the castle hosts cultural events such as Christmas markets.

The inner courtyard and core buildings remain closed to the public as they are privately owned. However, visitors can explore the outer areas that include the economic buildings and brewery, especially during local events or seasonal markets.

The castle's alternative name Lichtenstein is documented only once, in 1367, and refers to the light quartz of the Pfahl beneath it. The round bergfried, six metres across with walls two metres thick, was entered at a height of twelve metres. From 1895 Arnold Ritter added a crenellated parapet and small neo-Gothic changes.