Burgruine Sichelnstein

Staufenberg, Germany, Germany

---

Burgruine Sichelnstein in Staufenberg, Germany, is a medieval hillside castle ruin dating back before 933 CE, likely constructed by Saxon nobility on a horseshoe-shaped basalt spur above the villages of Sichelnstein and Nenterbach near the Hessian border.

First documented around 1233 amid inheritance disputes between the Counts of Ziegenhain and Thuringian landgraves, it changed hands repeatedly through noble families like the von Rolshausen before falling into partial ruin after destruction in the Hessian War of 1646-1648 during the Thirty Years' War.

Today the preserved remnants, including wall sections, a corner tower with spiral staircase, and ring wall, serve as an excursion site for cultural events amid scenic vineyards and forests.