Thannstein Castle (Ruin)

Thannstein Castle, also known as Thanstein or Tannstein, is a castle ruin in the Upper Palatinate Forest on the outskirts above the church of the municipality of Thanstein in the district of Schwandorf in Bavaria.

The noble family of Thanstein was first mentioned in a document in 1218 with a Uto von Tannstein, but their former ancestral seat, Altenthannstein Castle, was located about 2000 meters to the west on the so-called Alten Thannstein above Dautersdorf; today it only exists as a castle site.

The "New" Castle in Thanstein was built in the early 14th century by the ministerial family and subsequently served as their ancestral castle. In 1353, the castle passed to a branch of the Zenger family and later came into the possession of the Lords of Ebleben through the marriage of Margarete Zenger to Knight Georg von Ebleben. In 1811, the entire castle burned down except for the keep, which was restored in 1887 and is now the landmark of the town.

Of the former castle complex, the round keep and some, partly built-over, wall remains have been preserved.