Welcome to Hardenburg castle and fortress ruins
The ruins of Hardenburg Castle near Bad Dürkheim are big and impressive. The Counts of Leiningen extended this medieval stronghold in the 16th century to produce a palace that was both splendid and well-fortified. The remains of the sweeping residential area, the impressive great hall buildings, the mighty western fortress and the Renaissance garden are just a hint of its former size and glory.
The information centre on site includes a permanent exhibition on the history of the Hardenburg. Outstanding archaeological findings from the 16th and 17th centuries, including everyday and representative finds, bear witness to what life would have been like in the castle.
Information on opening hours and admission prices can be found here.
Circular walk from the Limburg monastery ruins to the Hardenburg castle ruins.
www.suedlicheweinstrasse.de
Hardenburg castle and fortress ruins car park It is about a 10-minute uphill walk from the car park to the ruins.
Notes on accessibility
The entrance building including the exhibition area and the event area in the inner courtyard are accessible for wheelchair users. There are two disabled parking bays on site and toilet facilities for people with restricted mobility. There is also a model of the castle with texts in braille and raised pictograms.
As it is a historic site with old buildings, it is regrettably not possible to make the whole area accessible for wheelchair or buggy users.
Waldgaststätte Lindenklause
Eichenplatz 4a
67098 Bad Dürkheim
Tel.: +49 (0)6322 67777
lindenklause(at)web.de
www.lindenklause.de
The forest pub is around 450 m from the castle.
Discover unspoilt nature and more impressive castle ruins: Frankenstein Castle is around 12 km away towards Kaiserslautern, while the Schlosseck castle ruins are about one hour’s walk on a footpath from the Hardenburg.
There is lots more for culture vultures and nature lovers to enjoy in the Palatinate Forest Nature Park and Biosphere Reserve and the surrounding region.
Tourist Information Bad Dürkheim
Kurbrunnenstr. 21c
67098 Bad Dürkheim
Phone +49 (0)6322 9354500
info(at)bad-duerkheim.de
www.bad-duerkheim.de
Castle, fortress or palace? It is a question visitors to the Hardenburg near Bad Dürkheim are wont to ask. In technical terms, the complex is known as a ‘fortified palace’, so somewhere in between a fortress and a palace.
The Hardenburg was built in the early 13th century as a relatively modest hill castle before being converted into a defensive Renaissance residence in the 16th century. Strong walls and buttresses, gun turrets, gates, battlements and catacombs are all evidence of the strong fortifications today. But the gardens, remains of generous residential quarters and once glorious great halls are evidence that its civil duties as a suitable residence for the Counts of Leiningen were no less important.
The information centre includes a permanent exhibition on the history of the Hardenburg and its lords, the Counts of Leiningen. Outstanding archaeological findings from the 16th and 17th centuries, including everyday and representative finds, bear witness to the riches of the Counts of Leiningen and life in the Hardenburg.
Contact
Schloss- und Festungsruine Hardenburg
67098 Bad Dürkheim
Ortsteil Hardenburg
Phone +49 (0) 261 6675 4840
Fax +49 (0) 6322 988713
hardenburg(at)gdke.rlp.de
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The Hardenburg castle and fortress ruins are a historical site of the Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz (General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland‑Palatinate)
Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz
Direktion Burgen Schlösser Altertümer
Festung Ehrenbreitstein
56077 Koblenz
Phone +49 (0) 261 6675 0
bsa(at)gdke.rlp.de
www.gdke.rlp.de
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