Scharzfels Castle

Bad Lauterberg, Germany, Germany

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Scharzfels Castle near Bad Lauterberg, Germany, is a medieval ruin perched on a dramatic 20-meter-high dolomite rock outcrop rising 150 meters above the Oder valley, built in the 10th or 11th century as an impregnable fortress first owned by the Magdeburg archdiocese.

Acquired by Emperor Lothair of Süpplingenburg in 1131 as an imperial stronghold, it withstood sieges through the Peasants' War and Thirty Years' War, later serving as a state prison before French troops captured and demolished it in 1761 during the Seven Years' War.

Today, visitors explore restored wall fragments, rock-hewn tunnels and corridors including a 15-meter entrance passage, tower foundations, and panoramic Harz views via hiking trails like the Karstweg, with nearby climbing spots.