Treis Castle (Staufenberg)

Burg Treis stands beside the Lumda river in the village of Treis an der Lumda, a district of Staufenberg in central Hesse. The site began as a fortified manor in the mid-16th century, built by the elder line of the Schutzbar called Milchling. By the 19th century the original living quarters had been replaced by an Amtshaus that served as the seat of the Kurhessian district court until 1867. Today only fragments remain of the once strong defences, yet these still mark the outline of the old stronghold. The surviving parts include ring walls about 1.1 metres thick running along the riverbank and, on the western side, a small tower with a projecting oriel and corbel stones built into a modern house. At the southern end a large round tower known as the ‘Diebsturm’ rises above the water meadows. All these structures belong to a private owner, so visitors must view them from outside the boundary. From the main road in Treis the ruins can be seen across the river opposite Burg Ellhaus. The low stone walls and round tower stand among grass and mature trees, giving a quiet riverside scene. The contrast between the modest remains and the later Amtshaus shows how the place has been reused over centuries.