Nollig Castle (Ruin) (Lorch)

The Nollig ruin (also called Nollich, Nollig, Nollicht, Nollingen and Nollen) stands on a mountain ridge, the "Nollig" or "Wachtenberg", northwest of the town of Lorch on the Middle Rhine in the Rheingau-Taunus district in Hesse.

The rectangular building is probably less the ruin of a hilltop castle than a watchtower, which could also be inhabited in an emergency.

It was built around the beginning of the 14th century as a three-story half-timbered building, but was later encased and reinforced with a massive wall. Towards the mountain, it was secured by a neck ditch and a shield wall flanked by two lateral round towers.

It is still disputed whether the tower was part of the local town fortifications. The shield wall, which continued laterally, at least suggests such an intention.

The building is privately owned and cannot be visited.

The area around the Nollig ruin in Hesse certainly belongs to the habitats with the highest biodiversity. In particular, animals and plants can be found here that are otherwise only known from Southern Europe. Meanwhile, the former fallow land and parts of the vineyards are protected. However, the input of fertilizer and the complete abandonment of use threaten the rich life through scrub encroachment. Historical photographs show that the area had virtually no forest until World War II.