Lichtenberg: Castle Ruins and Old Town

Lichtenberg combines the history of the town with destinations in the surrounding area. The castle ruins stand above the town on Schlossberg; the old town includes a late-medieval market square and narrow historic lanes. Höllental offers another nearby destination to explore, with marked hiking routes, viewpoints, and wooden bridges. If you’re looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether the town’s history or the destinations in Höllental will play a bigger part in your stay.

Castle Ruins on Schlossberg

Lichtenberg Castle Ruins stand on Schlossberg above the town. From the castle tower, you can see across Lichtenberg and the surrounding forests and fields. The site offers views of both the town and the surrounding landscape. The castle was burned down by imperial troops in 1634 during the Thirty Years’ War; it has remained a ruin ever since. The year gives the building’s history a specific point in time: it marks the castle’s destruction and the beginning of its existence as a ruin.

Old Town and Castle Festival

The late-medieval market square and narrow historic lanes give Lichtenberg’s old town distinct spatial impressions. The market square is a clearly identified place in the historic center, while the lanes reveal the old town’s small-scale layout. Together with the castle ruins, they offer a way to explore specific places rather than a general view of the town.

Lichtenberg’s Castle Festival is celebrated every year in early September on Schlossberg and in the old town. The event is hosted in alternate years by Burgfreunde and the Burgkultur association. Around 8,000 visitors attend over the festival weekend. If the festival is important to your travel plans, check the specific event dates before finalizing your stay. The recurring period in early September and the exact dates are two different pieces of information.

Hiking Routes and Views in Höllental

Höllental is located near Lichtenberg. There are numerous marked hiking routes there, with a combined length of more than 30 kilometers. This figure refers to the total length of the routes and gives an indication of the scale of the valley’s hiking options. If you’re planning time outdoors, you can consider these routes a separate focus alongside Lichtenberg’s historic sites.

The König David viewpoint is 170 meters above the valley floor. From there, you can look into the Selbitz Valley and across to Lichtenberg. This viewpoint offers a different perspective from the castle tower: König David opens up views into the valley and back toward the town, while the tower offers views of Lichtenberg and the surrounding forests and fields.

The wooden figure “Hirschsprung” is also located in Höllental. The larger-than-life figure appears poised to leap into the valley. Two other named wooden structures are the Jungfernsteg and Teufelssteg bridges. A legend is associated with Teufelssteg: the devil is said to have been seen there. The story refers to Teufelssteg; Jungfernsteg is named as the second bridge. The routes, viewpoint, figure, and bridges therefore offer different reasons to visit Höllental.

Highlights for Your Stay

The destinations in Lichtenberg and the surrounding area are easy to distinguish: the castle ruins, market square, and lanes represent the town’s historic side; the hiking routes, viewpoint, Hirschsprung, and wooden bridges are part of Höllental. If you’re traveling in early September, the annual Castle Festival may also be a reason to check the event dates.

Discover more destinations: Helmbrechts, Selbitz, Bad Steben, Schwarzenbach an der Saale, Berg, Schwarzenbach am Wald, Rehau, Zell im Fichtelgebirge.

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