The remains of the Castle can be visited
Lißberg Castle (Ruin)

Lißberg Castle is a castle ruin in the Lißberg district of the municipality of Ortenberg in the Wetteraukreis in Hesse. The castle is located on the summit of a central cone in the middle of an old volcanic crater. The round keep with its conical spire is visible from afar; it is popularly known as "the Lißberg Sauerkraut Barrel."
The castle was built in the 12th century by the "Lords of Liebesberg," who were first mentioned in a document in 1222. With the death of Friedrich von Lißberg in 1396, the Lißberg lineage died out.
Johann von Rodenstein, a brother-in-law of Friedrich, took possession of the castle and from then on called himself Johann von Rodenstein and Lißberg. In 1415, Counts Johann II and Gottfried IX von Ziegenhain forcibly took the castle and three years later (1418) sold half of it to Landgrave Ludwig of Hesse.
The castle and office of Lißberg completely fell to the Landgrave of Hesse after the death of the last Count of Ziegenhain, Johann II, in 1450. During the Hessian division of inheritance in 1604, the castle and office of Lißberg came to the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Layout+
The castle complex presents visitors with a high shield wall 3 m thick, which encloses the complex to the northeast. The entrance to the bailey, which was secured by a moat and drawbridge until the 18th century, is at the southeastern end of the wall.
Through the bailey, one enters the spacious forecourt in the south of the castle complex; the tithe barn and granaries used to stand there. Another archway leads into the actual castle courtyard, which is approximately trapezoidal.
The former castle buildings have fallen into disrepair; only the massive tower with a 9 m diameter and 27 m height is well preserved. Its wall is approximately 3.5 m thick. The ascent to the top of the tower runs within the masonry. The entrance to the tower is 9 m high; originally, it could only be reached by a drawbridge from the residential building, which was attached to the shield wall. After this building collapsed around 1824, an external staircase was added to the tower in 1865. The community hall of Lißberg now stands on the site of the old residential building.
Today, the castle with its community hall is used for events such as medieval markets, private celebrations, and even tent camps.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 50.3745, 9.0843