Kransberg Castle

Kransberg Castle stands on a steep rock above the village of Kransberg in the Taunus mountains, about forty kilometres north of Frankfurt. The medieval fortress was rebuilt in the late 19th century and later used for military and intelligence work during the Second World War and the Cold War. After German reunification the Americans left and the castle returned to civilian use. The building’s wartime role is especially striking. Albert Speer redesigned parts of it for Hitler’s headquarters under the name Adlerhorst, though the Führer never used it as planned. In December 1944 Hitler arrived for the Ardennes Offensive and met his generals in the castle. After the failed plot of 20 July 1944, Hermann Göring was dismissed here and the complex became the Anglo-American interrogation centre called Camp Dustbin. Visitors today find a neogothic castle with parts of the original medieval core still visible. The surrounding Taunus hills offer quiet walks and wide views over the countryside. Inside, rooms recall the building’s changing purposes, from aristocratic residence to wartime command post. The site’s layered history remains visible in the stonework and layout.