Burgstall Roggenstein

The Burgstall Roggenstein stands on a wooded moraine ridge east of Emmering in Upper Bavaria. It rises to 550 metres above sea level and is reached by paths that cross the steep slopes of the Emmeringer Leite. Below the hill lies the former manor farm, Gut Roggenstein, and to the south the village of Eichenau begins a few hundred metres away. The site includes a small plateau where the late-medieval chapel of St George now stands. Two deep ditches cut the spur, marking the outline of the vanished high-medieval castle.

The chapel was built about 1400 as a simple rectangular hall with a gabled bellcote. Inside, a cycle of Passion frescoes covers the walls and is counted among the finest medieval wall paintings in Upper Bavaria. A life-size Saint Christopher guards the entrance, while the east wall shows Saint George slaying the dragon. The altar area preserves a block altar from the 19th century and a baroque high altar dated 1686. A local society founded in 1969 cares for the building and keeps it open regularly.

The castle ruins themselves are reduced to grassy banks and the two defensive ditches. Trampled tracks cross the slope, adding to soil erosion on the steep sides. The manor farm below dates from the 19th century and still serves agricultural research. Beyond the ridge lie the vanished castles of Gegenpoint and Engelsberg, cleared by the monastery to prevent rebuilding. The whole ensemble offers quiet walks through woodland and farmland with distant views over the Amper valley.