Clan Rising
Nanstein Castle today

Germany · Partial ruin

Nanstein Castle

Burg Nanstein

Nanstein Castle is a medieval spur castle of red sandstone above the town of Landstuhl in southwest Germany, originally built in the 12th century and modernized in the early 16th century by Franz von Sickingen. Today it survives as a partially reconstructed ruin after sieges and deliberate slighting in the 17th and 18th centuries.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1152

Its prime

1520

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1520

What Nanstein Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a roughly 15 m high sandstone promontory, the castle reads as compact red-sandstone masonry: a tall, roughly rectangular main tower/keep with a crenellated parapet, an adjacent cylindrical tower to the right, long curtain walls and lower forewalls with arched gateways. Masonry is of warm red and pink sandstone in mixed squared and coursed blocks; prominent large arched openings and a stepped forewall enclose a small courtyard above the town.

Its story

The story of Nanstein Castle.

Barbarossa's Frontier Post, from Around 1152

Frederick I, "Barbarossa", had Nanstein Castle built around 1152 on a red sandstone spur above what became the town of Landstuhl, though the earliest surviving document naming the castle dates from 1189; it belonged to the Hohenstaufen fortification system guarding the empire's lands in the south-western Palatinate, a network established from around 1160. By feudal right the castle was assigned as the seat of an imperial ministerial official. Over time the fief stopped reverting to its lord and became hereditary, and successive inheritances split ownership among several families who held it jointly; the extra living quarters they added unsystematically weakened its defences.

In 1482 the knight Schweickhardt von Sickingen became a joint-owner. His son Franz, born in 1481, bought out the other shareholding families and held the castle outright by 1518.

Franz von Sickingen's Cannon Castle and the Siege of 1523

In the years that followed, the Imperial Knight and Protestant reformer Franz von Sickingen tried to rebuild Nanstein into a modern artillery fortress able to withstand the heavy guns of the age. The rebuilding proved insufficient: after his attack on the Archbishopric of Trier was repulsed in September 1522, Sickingen retreated to Nanstein. In spring 1523, during the so-called Knights' War, the combined forces of the Archbishop of Trier, the Palatine Elector Louis V and Philip, Landgrave of Hesse besieged the castle, which fell after two days of bombardment at the turn of April into May. Sickingen died on 7 May from wounds suffered in the siege, and his estate was confiscated and partly destroyed.

Rebuilding, the 1668 Demolition, and Destruction in 1689

Sickingen's sons, restored to their family's rights in 1542, and his grandsons rebuilt the ruined castle from 1543; by around 1600 it had grown into a Renaissance palace linked to the town of Landstuhl below by a shared town and ring wall. After the Thirty Years' War ended in 1648, Duke Charles IV of Lorraine occupied Landstuhl and the castle over unpaid claims against the Empire; in 1668 the territorial lord, Elector Charles Louis, retook them by force and had the castle blown up, arguing that its 1542 enfeoffment had forbidden military use, before re-granting the lordship of Landstuhl to the Sickingens. The site was patched up again in the years that followed but was destroyed for good in 1689, when French troops struck during the Nine Years' War.

Restoration Since the 19th Century and Present Custody

Since the mid-19th century, local history and heritage enthusiasts have worked to clear and preserve the ruin, and parts of the castle have since been restored. Nanstein is today owned by the government of Rhineland-Palatinate, operated by the Municipal Association of Landstuhl, and protected as a Kulturdenkmal, a listed cultural monument.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1520.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Nanstein Castle, including 1 interior: outer gate / arched passage. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Town approach from LandstuhlOuter gate / arched passageForecourt / inner courtyardSouth curtain wall with large arched openingBase of the main rectangular keep (exterior)Top of the keep / battlementsRound tower top and curtain walkSandstone ledge overlook

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Whose castle

Clans who held Nanstein Castle.

The families that held Nanstein Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Sickingen

    Owned by Franz von Sickingen, who modernised the castle and was mortally wounded in the siege of 1523.

Questions about Nanstein Castle

What is the history of Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle was built in the 12th century as a spur castle and part of the Hohenstaufen defences in the south-western Palatinate. Franz von Sickingen modernised it in the early 16th century, but was mortally wounded during its siege in 1523. It was rebuilt in Renaissance style after 1542, then partly destroyed in 1668 and finally destroyed by French troops in 1689.

What is inside Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle contains the former knights’ hall, a vaulted passage, a stair tower dated 1518 and the alleged death chamber of Franz von Sickingen, cut deep into the Nanstein rock. Other surviving spaces include the kitchen with heraldic stones, the Great Rondel and the Small Rondel with a 1560 fountain basin. The courtyard and castle chapel are also recorded parts of the complex.

Who owns Nanstein Castle now?

Nanstein Castle is owned by the Government of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Municipal Association of Landstuhl operates it. It also has the heritage designation Kulturdenkmal.

Why was Nanstein Castle built, and what was it used for?

Nanstein Castle was built as a fortified spur castle within the Hohenstaufen defensive system guarding imperial lands in the south-western Palatinate. Franz von Sickingen later modernised it into a citadel intended to withstand the heavy artillery of the period. After its Renaissance rebuilding, it also became a residence and palace, but later destruction left it as a ruin.

Where is Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle is above Landstuhl on a red sandstone height in south-western Germany. It stands on a 15-metre-high sandstone ledge, with the castle hill rising 80 metres above Landstuhl’s town centre. The site is on the north-western edge of the Sickinger Höhe.

When was Nanstein Castle built?

Nanstein Castle was first raised in 1152, placing its construction in the 12th century. The medieval spur castle was later modernised in the early 16th century by Franz von Sickingen. A substantial Renaissance rebuilding followed from 1543, and a magnificent Renaissance palace had emerged by about 1600.

Was Nanstein Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Nanstein Castle fell after a two-day bombardment in 1523, when the combined forces of the Archbishop of Trier, Louis V, Elector Palatine, and Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, attacked it. In 1668 Charles Louis captured the restored castle and had it partly destroyed. French troops destroyed further parts in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession.

Which family or clan held Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle was held by Franz von Sickingen and the Sickingen family. Franz acquired the castle fully by 1518, modernised it and was mortally wounded during the siege of 1523. His sons later received the partially destroyed castle back in 1542 and rebuilt it.

What did Nanstein Castle look like in its prime?

Nanstein Castle’s prime appearance was a compact red-sandstone fortress on a roughly 15-metre-high rocky ledge. It had a tall, roughly rectangular keep with a crenellated parapet, a cylindrical tower, long curtain walls, lower forewalls and arched gateways. Warm red and pink sandstone masonry, large arched openings and a stepped forewall enclosed a small courtyard above the town.

Is Nanstein Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Nanstein Castle survives as a partially reconstructed ruin. Sieges and deliberate destruction in the 17th and 18th centuries reduced it to ruin, including partial destruction in 1668 and final destruction by French troops in 1689. Parts of the castle were restored from the mid-19th century, while the present ruin is about 100 metres long and 50 metres wide.

Who built Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle was commissioned by Frederick Barbarossa, who had it built about 1152. The supplied material does not name an architect. It also identifies Franz von Sickingen as the later moderniser, not as the original builder.

Can you visit Nanstein Castle?

Nanstein Castle can be visited as a managed castle and tourist destination. The complex has a castle courtyard used for annual open-air performances, and its surviving areas include the forecourt, curtain walls, towers, battlements and interior spaces. The site is operated by the Municipal Association of Landstuhl.

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