Rock castle
A rock castle (German: Felsenburg) is a type of medieval castle that directly incorporates natural rock outcrops into its defences to such an extent that the rock formations define the structure of the castle. Topographically, rock castles are classified as hill castles.
Layout
By contrast with the usual hill castles, that utilize the bedrock as a foundation for the individual buildings, the entire structure of rock castles is shaped by natural, often isolated
The rock on which the castle stands is always incorporated into its design. If the rock is easy to work (e.g. sandstone), rooms, passages, steps, well shafts and cisterns were invariably hacked out of it. The buildings, made of wood or stone, stood on or next to the rock and used it as a foundation or walls. The remains of wooden structures are not usually preserved today, but their location and appearance can be partially gauged by the joist bearings and joist holes still visible in the rock.
Rock castles occur in large numbers in the southern Palatinate (Palatinate Forest), in northern Alsace (North Vosges) as well as in North Bohemia and Saxon Switzerland, where great sandstone rocks provide the necessary prerequisite for their construction.
Most rock castles no longer exist today. Often the site was
Rock-hewn castles
Castle researcher
False interpretations
The shapes carved out of the rock, such as foundation footings and
Important rock castles
In Italy:
In France:
- Château de Hohbarr, Bas-Rhin
- Château de Hohenbourg, Bas-Rhin
- Château du Fleckenstein, Vosges
In Germany:
- Altdahn Castle, Palatinate Forest
- Berwartstein Castle, Palatinate Forest
- Grafendahn Castle, Palatinate Forest
- Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland
- Neurathen Castle, Saxon Switzerland
- Scharzfels Castle, Harz perimeter
- Spangenberg Castle, Rhineland-Palatinate
- Tanstein Castle, Palatinate Forest
- Trifels Castle, Palatinate
In Austria:
In the Czech Republic:
- Český ráj
- Helfenburk Castle (North Bohemia), Dauba Switzerland
- Rotštejn Castle, Český ráj
- Šaunštejn Castle, Bohemian Switzerland
- Sloup Castle, Lusatian Mountains
- Valečov Castle, Český ráj
- Vranov Castle, Český ráj
In Turkey:
References
- ^ Piper, Otto: Burgenkunde. Bauwesen und Geschichte der Burgen. Munich, 1912, p. 559.
Literature
- Marco Bollheimer (2011), Felsenburgen im Burgenparadies Wasgau–Nordvogesen (in German) (3. ed.), Karlsruhe: Selbstverlag, ISBN 978-3-9814506-0-6
- Walter Herrmann: Auf rotem Fels. G. Braun Buchverlag Karlsruhe, ISBN 978-3-7650-8565-9