Steffenburg

The Steffenburg was a small medieval castle near Adorf, a village in the Diemelsee district of northern Hesse. It stood on a low hill just west of Burg Adorf, a water castle in the village centre. The site reached 352 metres above sea level, offering views over the surrounding countryside. Only written records and a few scattered stones remain today. The castle was built early in the 16th century by Curd von Ense as a tower house or hall keep. In 1507 he granted it to Count Philipp II of Waldeck-Eisenberg, who returned it as a fief. Later owners included Caspar von Dorfelde in 1537. By the 19th century the ruins served as a rubbish dump under the mayor Schwarzenberg. In the 1950s the last traces were removed to widen the main road. Visitors now see a quiet village lane where the castle once rose. The nearby Burg Adorf still stands with its moat and half-timbered gatehouse. A modest information board marks the Steffenburg site beside the road. The village church and old farmhouses keep the medieval atmosphere alive. The gentle hills of the Diemelsee region stretch away in every direction.