Lauksburg Castle (Ruin) (Espenschied)

Lauksburg is a small castle ruin in the west of Hesse.

The ruin is located in the Wisper valley and belongs to the town of Lorch am Rhein. It is situated near the district of Espenschied, opposite the Laukenmühle, a few kilometers east of the Rhine in the Taunus, and as a spur castle, it lies a good 50 meters above the Wisper stream and the small settlement in the valley.

The history of the castle complex is largely unknown; it is presumed that the hilltop castle was built as early as the beginning of the 12th century. The Archdiocese of Mainz was named as a former owner. A documentary mention from 1575 already describes the castle as dilapidated. Subsequently, the ruin was not rebuilt, probably not least because it was never of strategic importance and, due to its small size, could not be used as a permanent residence. The castle complex is almost 30 meters long and 15 meters wide. Today, the ruin of the residential tower, which still rises about 10 meters and has a base area of 7.5 × 6 meters, is the most striking feature of the ruin. Only small remnants of the curtain wall remain.

The castle, which is privately owned, is at high risk of collapse and has not been open for visitors for years.