Rauschenburg

Germany, Germany

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Rauschenburg is a medieval hilltop castle ruin above the Ehrbach Valley near Olfen in Germany's Hunsrück region, Rhineland-Palatinate, built around 1332 by Archbishop Baldwin of Luxembourg as a counter-fortress during the Eltz Feud against rebellious nobles holding Waldeck, Schöneck, and Ehrenburg castles.

Designed with a pentagonal enceinte, outer defensive wall, neck ditch, bergfried tower remnants, and multiple gates, it served as an arms depot, troop quarters, and probable lodging for the archbishop, later enfeoffed to families like the Schönecks, von Eichs, Waldbotts, and Boos von Waldeck until falling into decay by the mid-15th century amid feuds and the Beilstein War.

Abandoned as militarily obsolete, its atmospheric remains now attract hikers exploring the scenic saddle-top site with visible foundations and gateways.