Falkenstein Castle

Falkenstein Castle, also called New Falkenstein (Neu-Falkenstein), is a ruined hill castle at in the eponymous climatic spa of Falkenstein, a quarter of Königstein im Taunus in the county of Hochtaunuskreis in the German state of Hesse. Location The castle ruins are visible from a long way off, both from Königstein im Taunus as well as from the direction of Kronberg im Taunus. From the ruins the city of Frankfurt am Main and large parts of the Rhine-Main Plain may be seen. However, the site is not overrun by tourists, partly because it is not signed from outside of the village. The path to the castle is located by the Catholic Church on Reichenbachweg; here there is a signpost. The castle can only be reached on foot. The path from the church is about 330 metres long and runs uphill. Other neighbouring castles are Königstein about 1.5 kilometres to the southwest and Kronberg about 3 kilometres southeast. History The castle was built in the mid-14th century as New Falkenstein (Burg Neu-Falkenstein) by the lords of Bolanden-Falkenstein, whose family home was on the Donnersberg hill at Falkenstein Castle in the Palatinate, and immediately next to Nüring Castle, which probably dated to the 11th century. It was first mentioned in 1364 in connexion with the imperial war against Philip VI of Falkenstein. The castle changed owners in quick hereditary succession from the end of the 14th century. The counts of Sponheim were followed by Philip of Nassau (1385) and the lords of Hattstein as well as the lords of Kronberg, who were initially vassals (Lehnsmannen) and then owners. Around 1500 the enceinte was reinforced with flanking towers and the late Gothic bergfried in converted into the butter churn shape (similar to that in Idstein). In the early 17th century the castle went into the possession of the lords of Staffel.