Burg Berwartstein

Erlenbach bei Dahn, Germany, Germany

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Burg Berwartstein near Erlenbach bei Dahn in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is one of the Pfalz's most impressive rock castles, first documented in 1152 when Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted it to Speyer's bishop, strategically carved into a 470-meter sandstone cliff with a remarkable 104-meter-deep well.

Used as a robber baron base by the von Berwartstein knights in the 13th century until captured in 1314 by Strasbourg and Hagenau forces via betrayal, it later served Weissenburg Abbey and Elector Palatinate under Hans von Trotha who fortified it around 1480 with ramparts, Little France outpost, and tunnels.

Lightning-struck in 1591, razed by French troops in 1689, and rebuilt residentially by Theodor Hoffmann in the late 19th century, it remains the Palatinate's only inhabited castle, offering guided tours and panoramic views over Wasgau to Alsace.