Lauterstein Castle

The core castle from the 13th and 14th centuries (which has disappeared except for minor wall remnants) was located on a rock spur steeply sloping to the north, west, and south above the Lauter Valley and was delimited by a shield wall (wall remnants preserved) from the younger outer bailey located to the east. A section ditch, still visible today, deeply cut into the valley slope east of the core castle, delimited the outer bailey and was intended to secure the complex at this difficult-to-defend location. Access to the castle most likely occurred via the path from Lautern, which is still preserved today. To what extent the forest path leading from the ruins into the upper Lauter Valley today already existed in the Middle Ages and could have served as a second access to the castle complex is unclear.