The 20 Most Amazing Peaks around Illschwang

Burgstall Hartenfels The site of the abandoned spur castle is located in the Middle Franconian Jura, on a southwest-facing rocky spur of the Great Hartenfels at 530.6 m above sea level. The castle was probably built during the 13th century by the Lords of Neidstein, but there is no mention of the castle itself. It is only mentioned indirectly in a document dated February 21, 1268, in the name of Heinrich von Hertenvels. In addition to the high medieval fortification on the Hartenfels, there are also the remains of a prehistoric structure at the same location. A long section of the rampart, about half a meter high, has been preserved, which arches around the mountain spur outside the moat of the medieval castle and thus sealed it off. Today, the site of the former castle is completely overgrown with forest, and only two ditches and the remains of the foundation walls of the former ring wall have survived. The former hilltop castle was once divided into two areas, an outer bailey at the transition from the spur to the flat summit area or plateau of the Hartenfels, and a main castle at the rocky tip of the mountain spur, in the best protected place by nature. The outer bailey was protected by a two-meter-deep and about ten-meter-wide moat. The area of the outer bailey is irregularly shaped, as it was adapted to the rocky terrain between the plateau and the rocky spur. As it was easily attacked from the plateau, it had to be protected on its north-east side by a strong wall, of which a 4.50-meter-wide and one-meter-high rampart still remains. Approximately in the middle of this rampart, a 3.80-meter-wide break gives an idea of the former entrance to the castle, and even today you enter the castle grounds at this point. The main castle has a trapezoidal area about 50 meters long and 25 meters wide. On its west and south sides it is well protected by the vertical drop of the rocks by several meters and the steep eastern slope also offered sufficient protection. Only at the northwest corner is a small remnant of a wall still visible above ground. There are no further traces of construction on the flat surface of the main castle, apart from an almost square pit in the middle of the area. This pit measures 4 by 3.50 meters and could be the remains of a cistern or a cellar room. Source: Excerpts from www.wikipedia.de

The Leitenberg is one of the 7 summits in the Nuremberg region.

At the summit of Leitenberg there is a small summit cross

From the Hartenfels with its summit cross that can be seen from afar, you have a beautiful view of Neukirchen and the surrounding area. To get to the vantage point, you either leave your bike where it is or push it up the stairs, but the view makes up for the effort. Don't forget to enter the summit book 😉.

The summit book is in a metal box on the summit cross. You can perpetuate yourself there.

A knight once lived here. Nothing remains of his dwelling today. Summit cross, bench and two signs tell of the historic place. One of the wooden plaques describes the location of the castle and its defenses, such as ramparts and moats. Source: oberpfalz-fan.de/2018/02/24/hartenfels When you have mastered the inclines, a wonderful view opens up over the beautiful area. Two benches or the rocks themselves invite you to linger

A knight once lived here. Nothing remains of his dwelling today. Summit cross, bench and two signs tell of the historic place. One of the wooden plaques describes the location of the castle and its defenses, such as ramparts and moats. Source: http://oberpfalz-fan.de/2018/02/24/hartenfels/

Caution is required in autumn as the stones can be very slippery due to leaves and moisture.