Starkenburg Castle

The origins of Starkenburg date back to 1065 when it was constructed to protect Lorsch Abbey and was initially called Burcheldon. The name Starkimberg, from which the current name is derived, first appeared in 1206. The castle served as a refuge for the monks of Lorsch Abbey. As one of the fortresses of the Electorate of Mainz, it secured the Mainzer Bergstraße. In 1765, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The dilapidated keep had to be blown up in 1924, removing 1500 cubic meters of stone. A new keep was built in a different location by 1930, a decision controversial from a monument preservation perspective. In 2004, during path construction work, the buried entrance gate of the original complex was discovered and secured until 2006.