Stiefler Castle

Stiefler Castle is a very small castle ruin near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz district of Saarland.

It has not yet been conclusively clarified what purposes the medieval motte-and-bailey castle served. Built in the early Middle Ages, Stiefeler Castle is in any case one of the oldest castle ruins in Germany. The remains of the former hilltop castle are located in the outermost southeastern part of the high plateau on the Großer Stiefel, a prominent mountain between Rentrisch and Sengscheid.

The Stiefelfelsen is located almost opposite on the northeastern edge of the Großer Stiefel. In July 2006, a signposted path to the cultural monument "Stiefeler Castle" was created.

According to historical findings and archaeological excavations in 1897, 1898, and 1900, the castle very likely already had an outwork built around 450 AD. It can only be assumed that the castle served to secure the border from the 10th century onwards and fell into disrepair in the late Middle Ages.

In 1875, the Historical Association of the Palatinate assigned the location on the Großer Stiefel to Weinantstein Castle, which was granted to Count Palatine Ruprecht III in 1398 and was not mentioned thereafter.