Burg Hattstein

Burg Hattstein stands as the remains of a spur castle on a wooded ridge in the Taunus hills, between the villages of Schmitten and Oberreifenberg. The ruins sit on a narrow forested spur called the Sängelberg, where only a ditch and fragments of a shield wall can still be seen. The site overlooks the Weiltal valley and the surrounding slopes covered with mixed forest. The castle’s history is tied to the Hattstein family, first mentioned in 1156 when Guntramus de Hazechenstein appears in a monastery charter. By the 14th century the Hattsteins gained a reputation as robber knights, raiding nearby lands and monasteries. In 1379 Frankfurt and its allies captured the castle but the family soon resumed their raids, prompting further attacks in 1387 and 1393. After a long feud with the Reifenbergs and Frankfurt, the castle was finally destroyed in 1467 and left to decay. Visitors reach the site along marked hiking trails from Schmitten, Oberreifenberg or the Weiltal valley. The paths lead around the hilltop, passing the low ruins and a narrow path that runs beside the old wall to a small terrace. The dense forest hides most of the foundations, giving the place a quiet, secluded feel among tall beeches and oaks.