Burgruine Falkenstein

Waldhof-Falkenstein, Germany, Germany

---

Burgruine Falkenstein is a medieval spur castle ruin dramatically positioned on a steep 350-meter-high rocky spur above the Our River valley near Waldhof-Falkenstein in Germany's Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district, Rhineland-Palatinate, marking the Luxembourg border amid scenic meanders.

Built in the early 12th century by the Lords of Falkenstein and later expanded by the Counts of Manderscheid, it endured destruction in 1679 during French conflicts but saw partial rebuilding, passing to Prussian control in 1815 before private ownership turned surviving elements like the bergfried residential tower, Romanesque chapel, palas walls, gate, and zwinger into a lived-in residence.

Accessed via a narrow rocky path, the site blends preserved history with private habitation, rewarding hikers with sweeping views over the Deutsch-Luxemburgischer Naturpark.