Neu-Lichtenegg

The Neu-Lichtenegg was a small hilltop fortress built around 1300 on a spur above the village of Lichtenegg. It stood 790 metres above sea level, 300 metres west of the present village centre. The site overlooks the Illmensee lake and the surrounding farmland of the Illmensee municipality. Only faint traces of the old walls remain today, visible as low earthworks and a shallow ditch. The castle was first recorded in 1309 as a ‘castrum’ in medieval documents. The brief but important life of the Neu-Lichtenegg is tied to the Ramsberg family. By 1372 the Lords of Ramsberg had taken up residence on the hill. Their presence is noted in local chronicles but the castle itself was never large or long-lived. After a few generations the site was abandoned and gradually reclaimed by the forest. Visitors today find a quiet woodland clearing where the castle once stood. A short walk from the village leads to the low remains, now covered in grass and moss. The view from the spur looks east across the lake and south towards the hills of the Linzgau region. The peaceful surroundings make it easy to imagine the medieval fortress in its day.