Burgstall Stauf

Burgstall Stauf stands on the summit of the Staufer Berg, a free-standing hill in the Frankenjura uplands. The hill rises 80 metres above its surroundings and carries a long oval plateau once topped by a medieval castle. Today only a low ring-wall and a deep ditch cut across the plateau remain, marking the vanished walls. Archaeologists list the site as a medieval monument under the code D-3-6734-0038. The castle’s lords appear in records only from the late 14th century. A Stauferin of Staufenberg married Friedrich von Raitenbuch in 1410, and the same family later built nearby castles such as Hohenfels and Ehrenfels. Bishop Albert III of Regensburg belonged to this line, and other Staufenbergs appear in 1424 and 1427. The ring-wall may have been reused when the high-medieval castle was constructed. Visitors walk a clear path up the steep slopes to the plateau. The ring-wall still reaches 2.5 metres high on the north-east side but is worn flat elsewhere. A deep trench splits the plateau into two parts, with spoil heaps at each end. The western half, where the main buildings once stood, is a flat grassy area with no visible ruins. A faint terrace along the southern edge hints at former walls.