Strahlenburg Castle in Schriesheim is idyllically located on the Badische Bergstraße high up on the Ölberg. These castle ruins are picturesquely nestled in the middle of a forest with old trees, high meadows, and magnificent vineyards. The history of the once magnificent castle dates back to 1235, when Conrad von Strahlenburg began construction. The castle was built not only as a representative building with a central castle, outer bailey, and lower castle, but also as a reliable defensive structure. After several changes of ownership and severe damage from war and fire in the 15th and 16th centuries, demolition of the castle began in 1733. Permission for this was granted by Elector Karl-Phillip in order to allow the construction of vineyard walls to protect against grape theft. In 1784, Count Oberndorff became the hereditary tenant and in 1828 the owner of the castle. He saved the remains of the castle ruins from decay, and so this historic building has been preserved to this day. It currently houses a castle restaurant serving Swabian specialties, a large sun terrace with a view of the Rhine valley, a fireplace room, and a castle hall. I drove my car up to the mountain spur. There I was able to conveniently park my car in a large parking lot in the middle of the forest, just a few meters from the castle. I passed through a large archway to reach the outer bailey, and from there a path led to the castle restaurant. From the outside, I could admire the mighty remains of the palace walls with their striking window fronts of Gothic pointed arch windows facing west and south. I was particularly fascinated by the 30-meter-high keep, which stands out in the middle of the vineyards. This old castle tower already inspired Heinrich von Kleist as the setting for his knightly play: Käthchen von Heilbronn. The Strahlenburg castle ruins on the slopes of the Ölberg are not only the symbol of Schriesheim, but also a special witness to medieval architecture. Even though only ruins remain, the castle ruins are simply extraordinary. Perhaps it is also due to the beautiful backdrop in the middle of the vineyards. To this day, the castle ruins are a popular destination for excursions and a starting point for hikes through the vineyards and forests of the Neckar-Odenwald Nature Park. The view of the Rhine Valley is particularly beautiful.
