Burgstall Lichtenberg

The Burgstall Lichtenberg stands on a hilltop near Bernhardswald in the Upper Palatinate. It was a medieval hilltop castle built around 1160 by the Lords of Lichtenberg, ministerials of the Bishop of Regensburg. The site includes a ruined castle and the Catholic chapel of St John the Baptist, listed as a Bavarian archaeological monument. The castle played a part in regional history for over two centuries. The Lichtenberg family witnessed charters for Regensburg’s bishops and dukes, and one member even served as mayor of Regensburg in the 13th century. By 1399 the family had died out, and the site passed to patricians of Regensburg. By the mid-16th century only the chapel remained. Visitors today see the remains of the square moat and outer bank on the hilltop. The chapel, rebuilt in the 17th century, has a Gothic nave and a Baroque choir added in 1734. A farmhouse from 1730 stands beside the chapel, and information boards explain the castle’s past. The whole place offers a quiet view over the surrounding countryside.