Burg Wahrberg

Burg Wahrberg stands on a narrow ridge that juts eastward at 490 metres above sea level. It is a medieval spur castle, built to command the edge of the Altmühl valley near Aurach. The site once belonged to Herrieden Abbey before passing to the Bishopric of Eichstätt in the 9th century. Local lords called the Herren von Wahrberg occupied the castle from the 13th century. In 1316 the fortress was wrecked during a feud and later rebuilt for the bishops’ officials.

The castle’s defences include a ring wall, two ditches and a steep southern drop. Inside the roughly 60 by 28 metre courtyard two large cellars survive from the early 13th century. The north side holds a narrow rectangular building with a projecting oriel window. A main block added in the 20th century carries an 18th-century ornamental doorway. At the western end a long service wing contains a partly timbered gate tower.

Today the castle serves as a seminar house while stables in the outbuildings run a riding school. Visitors walk along the curtain wall and look into the exposed cellars. The ridge offers views across the surrounding farmland. The place remains quiet, with only a handful of residents living in the hamlet below.