New Bolanden Castle

Burg Neu-Bolanden is a ruined spur castle standing on the Schlossberg hill east of Bolanden village in the Donnersbergkreis. The hill rises 276 metres above sea level, and the castle occupies a height of 260 metres. It was built in the 13th century by the imperial ministeriales of the House of Bolanden. The first written records date from 1258 to 1262. In the 14th century the castle was divided and disputes followed.

The castle passed to Electoral Palatinate in the mid-14th century and later to the counts of Nassau-Weilburg. From 1475 to 1598 it belonged to the Palatinate-Simmern line and served as a retirement retreat for three dowager duchesses. During the Peasants’ War in 1525 the castle was plundered and then levelled. After rebuilding, it was destroyed again in 1689 by French forces during the War of the Palatine Succession.

Today only a few wall remains survive of the rectangular castle. The neck ditch is still visible, and large parts were cleared in the 19th century. A 17th-century picture gives an idea of the former structure. The ruins stand on the hill spur, offering views across the surrounding countryside.