Schloss Schambach

Schloss Schambach stands in the village of Schambach, part of the municipality of Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria. It is a moated castle between Plattling and Straubing, surrounded by water and recognised as a monument. The site appears in records as a motte from the high or late Middle Ages. Traces suggest a possible Roman predecessor, though its exact location is lost. The castle’s medieval brick structure was built in the Altgotik style on oak posts and once had a much larger moat. Two hexagonal towers guard the western side, while a watchtower stood at the eastern entrance until 1318. Inside, the ground floor once housed stables and the upper floor held the lord’s chambers. The Trenbach family remodelled it into a two-winged building around 1550, and later Frührenaissance arcades were added. The castle’s owners held low justice rights, including imprisonment and execution, hinting at darker uses such as the secret Hunger Tower. Today the castle remains largely unchanged since its Renaissance remodelling. A new chapel was installed inside during 20th-century renovations after damage from groundwater and roof decay. The moat was restored and a wooden bridge now replaces the old drawbridge. The former inn on the castle square was removed, leaving the elevated building and its surroundings in quiet order.