Burg Falkenstein

Burg Falkenstein stands on a granite crag 626 metres above sea level, rising about sixty metres above the Perlbach valley near the spa town of Falkenstein in the Upper Palatinate. The fortress is listed as a protected monument and an archaeological site covering medieval and early modern traces. Its foundations were laid in the 11th century, with the first written record appearing in 1129 when Rudolph of Valchenstein witnessed a treaty between Regensburg and Bamberg bishops. The castle’s early owners were the bishops of Regensburg, who appointed stewards such as the counts of Bogen to guard their lands. After the Bogen line died out in 1242, the Wittelsbach dukes took control, followed by the Hohenfelser, Leuchtenberg and finally the Törring family. In 1634 Swedish troops burned the stronghold during the Thirty Years War, yet it resisted two later attacks and remained a key power centre until the 17th century. Visitors climb to the ruins along paths cut into the rock, passing remnants of the keep and curtain walls. The granite tower still offers wide views eastward to the Great Arber when the weather is clear. Below, the village of Falkenstein lies in the valley, its spa gardens and timbered houses visible from the heights. The site is quiet today, with only the wind and distant streams breaking the silence.