Gollenfels Castle

Gollenfels Castle is a rock castle on the "Gollenfels" above the Guldenbach valley at 285 m above sea level on the edge of the Soonwald forest opposite Stromburg Castle in the municipality of Dörrebach near Stromberg in the Hunsrück in the district of Bad Kreuznach.

According to tradition, Gollenfels Castle was built in the 10th/11th century on the foundations of an old Roman fortress that served to secure a military road from Mainz to Trier. However, there are no reliable sources for this claim. The castle's location on the rock between the valleys of the Dörrebach and Guldenbach, however, has excellent strategic importance, which is probably why this site was chosen by the builders.

In 1156, the castle is first mentioned in a document, another is dated April 5, 1191, and in 1450, Johann von Stein (Steinkallenfels) is named as a resident.

In 1614, the castle was destroyed by Spanish troops on the orders of Emperor Matthias of Habsburg during the Jülich-Cleves War of Succession.

In 1619, a new castle was built on the Gollenfels and, despite a heavy battle against French troops in 1793, was not destroyed again. However, it then lost its strategic importance and was converted into soldiers' quarters in 1848 and remained inhabited for several years after the Second World War.