Bechthal Castle (Ruin)

The origins of Bechthal Castle date back to the High Middle Ages, marking the ancestral seat of the Lords of Pechthal, first documented in the mid-12th century. The family name may allude to earlier pitch production in the region. Initially serving as vassals of the Prince-Bishopric of Eichstätt, the Pechthalers managed to establish a small independent lordship. In 1353, Konrad der Pechthaler had to cede half of his proprietary fortress to Konrad von Heideck, but received it back as a fief. Hermann Pechthaler sold the lordship to Rüdiger von Erlingshofen in 1414. Later, in 1473 and 1503, parts of the property changed hands multiple times until the Prince-Bishopric of Eichstätt acquired both halves of the castle in 1544 and 1557.