Collenburg

The Collenburg is a medieval hilltop ruin standing 50 to 60 metres above the Main valley on a sandstone spur of the Fechenberg. It was first recorded in 1214 when Walter von Schüpf, also called Walter de Colbo, built the fortress. The name Collenburg comes from Colbo, the family’s heraldic club, and berg for hill or stronghold. The castle passed through the Schenken von Limpurg, the Rüdt von Collenberg and the Reigersberg families before becoming a quarry in the 19th century. In 1842 the Bethmann banking family bought the estate, and later donated the ruin to the local villages. Since the 1980s conservation has stabilised the walls and towers. Visitors follow a steep, narrow path from the Fechenbach forestry house up to the ring wall. Inside, parts of the 14th- to 16th-century living quarters and the high east gable of the great hall remain. The 1589 gatehouse, 1609 arch and a round stair turret survive almost intact, while below the cliffs a once-vineyard terrace now holds old orchards.