Ruins Blankenstein

Gladenbach, Germany, Germany

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Ruins Blankenstein, or Burgruine Blankenstein, is a medieval hill castle ruin overlooking Gladenbach in Hesse's Marburg-Biedenkopf district, Germany, first built in the 12th century by the Knights of Gladenbach to guard trade routes like the Siegen High Road.

Destroyed in 1248 by Landgravine Sophie, it was rebuilt around 1300 and transformed into a palace by 1398, serving Hessian landgraves as an administrative center, refuge—including for Archbishop Ruprecht of Cologne from 1478-1480—and expanding further in the 16th century until its 1647 destruction by Hessian troops during the Thirty Years' War.

A short-lived Amtshaus rose on the site in 1648 before decay set in around 1770, leaving today a protected complex of walls, towers, and foundations accessible via short hikes for panoramic views and historical exploration.