Reifenberg Castle

Schmitten, Germany, Germany

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Reifenberg Castle is a medieval spur castle ruin crowning a steep basalt cliff at 700 meters in Oberreifenberg, Schmitten municipality, Hochtaunus district, Hesse, Germany—the highest such fortress in the Taunus mountains.

First documented in 1234 as the ancestral seat of the notorious Reifenberg robber barons who controlled vital trade passes, it features a massive 13th-century round bergfried tower (33m tall), 14th-century shield wall, residential tower with observation platform, and remnants of eight bastions across 25,000 square meters.

Repeatedly contested, burned, and rebuilt through wars including the Thirty Years' and Nine Years' conflicts, it was finally destroyed in 1689 and now stands freely accessible for hikes offering panoramic Taunus vistas.