Schloss Sauerburg

Sauerthal, Germany, Germany

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Schloss Sauerburg, overlooking Sauerthal in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, is a medieval hilltop castle built around 1339 by Pfalzgraf Ruprecht I, with formal permission granted retroactively in 1355 by the Archbishop of Mainz to protect against nearby robber barons at Burg Waldeck.

Passed as a fief to the Kronbergs in 1505, rebuilt beautifully by the Brömser family in the early 17th century with modern bastions, it fell into decay under the Metternichs by 1668 before French troops under Louis XIV destroyed it in 1689 during the Palatine War of Succession, blowing up its 32-meter bergfried and burning the buildings.

Owned by the Sickingens until 1834 and later frequently changing hands, the picturesque ruin was partially restored into habitable condition from 1909-1912 and now functions as a hotel hosting events like weddings and medieval markets in the UNESCO Rhine Valley.