The medieval ruin that likely gave Rotenburg its name

Rotenburg found its name atop this peak. The castle of Rodenberg stood high on Alter Turm at an elevation of 418.1 meters. Perhaps the Gisones inhabited these heights first, yet the Ludowinger Landgraves of Thuringia likely raised the initial stone walls after 1122.

For centuries, this Hessian fief housed families like von Trott and von Baumbach. The complex spanned approximately 110 meters by 40 meters until the Sternerkrieg of 1372 reduced it to rubble. A 1389 deed banned further fortification, leaving the halls to decay until the 16th century.

Now, beech trees cover the mountain. Fragments of six-meter-high walls and remains of the moats persist today. The foundations of the polygonal Bergfried remain well-preserved in the center of the complex, and a path passing the White Cross of the memorial for the displaced persons leads to the ruin, which remains freely accessible to the public.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons