Burg Schwärzenberg

Burg Schwärzenberg stands on a 556-metre quartz rock in the Pfahl range west of Strahlfeld, near the town of Roding in the Upper Palatinate. It is the ruined remains of a medieval hilltop castle built on land belonging to the Bishop of Bamberg. The site is protected as a listed monument and an archaeological site, marking its importance from the Middle Ages onward. The castle was first mentioned in 1306 under Andreas von Fronau, whose family had held the land since the early 12th century. By the late 14th century it had passed to the Zenger family after disputes and forced sales. The ruins still show parts of the residential tower, garderobe ledge and large windows, while the eastern rampart and moat outline the vanished outer ward. Today the summit is a nature reserve and geological monument, surrounded by protected woodland and rock formations. The old quarry to the southwest is also recognised as a geological site. Visitors walk among the stone remnants and enjoy views across the Upper Palatinate countryside.