Wasigenstein Castle

Two medieval ruined castles stand on rocky spurs separated by a natural fault modified by humans. To the east, the Grand-Wasigenstein, built around the mid-13th century as an imperial castle, features a pentagonal keep. To the west, the Petit-Wasigenstein, erected around 1299 by a branch of the Wasigenstein family, faces its neighbor with its keep and shield wall, following the era's rules that forbade dominating it. After the extinction of the Wasigenstein lines in the mid-14th century, the castles changed hands several times among the Fleckenstein, Hohenbourg, Ochsenstein, Ramberg, and Hanau-Lichtenberg families. Destroyed during the Thirty Years' War, remnants include stairs and rooms carved into the rock, window seats, and a cistern. Access to the site is currently prohibited for safety reasons until further notice, with an update expected in August 2026.