Burg Fürth am Berg

The ruins of Fürth am Berg castle stand on a 420-metre ridge above the village of Fürth am Berg, a district of Neustadt bei Coburg in Upper Franconia. The spur castle commands views of the old trade route from Nuremberg to Leipzig and the Neustadt–Mitwitz road. Its earliest core dates from the 9th century, when it served as a refuge against Hungarian horsemen. The fortress first appears in records in 1317 as Feste Furttenberg. Bamberg bishops installed noble stewards from Franconian and Thuringian knightly families to hold court and collect tolls and labour services. Among them were the Schenks of Siemau from 1359, the Schaumbergs in 1383 and 1601, and the Rosenaus from 1502. A glassworks operated on the site in 1489, and the castle was rebuilt after damage in the Peasants’ War of 1525. Today the site is an open grassy spur with clear traces of the old walls. A single medieval cellar vault survives intact and can be entered. Information boards explain the history of the place. The surrounding beech woods and distant views over the Steinach valley complete the visit.