Burgstall Lichtenroth

Burgstall Lichtenroth stands on the Engelsfels, a rocky ridge jutting into the Naab valley in the Upper Palatinate. The site lies between the villages of Pielenhofen and Duggendorf, about 150 metres above the valley floor. The ridge rises to roughly 485 metres above sea level and commands wide views over the deeply cut Naab valley. Nearby are other medieval ruins: Burgstall Löweneck six kilometres to the south, Burg Wolfsegg two and a half kilometres to the north-east, and Burgruine Laaber five and a half kilometres to the south-west. The area once formed part of the old ‘Upper Palatinate Iron Road’ and the Pielenhofen forest clearing. The castle was built in the 13th century, probably by Bishop Henry of Regensburg or his vassals. By 1297 it already appeared in records as ‘Burgstall zu Lichtenrode’, abandoned soon after its brief life. The last owners were the nuns of Pielenhofen convent, who received it from Jordan of Murach. Witnesses to the transfer included Hadmar of Laaber and Ekhart of Lewenecke. A local legend tells of a white maiden and three weeping sisters who appeared near the ruins, hinting at the castle’s sad end. Today only a deep neck ditch and scattered stones remain of the former stronghold. Philipp Apian’s 16th-century map shows a hall and a partly demolished tower on the Engelsfels. Visitors walk along the ridge to the site, where the sheer drop on the east side gives a sense of the original height. Broken masonry and the outline of the ditch are all that mark the vanished walls. The surrounding forest and the distant valley views complete the quiet, reflective atmosphere of the place.