The Trifels Castles in Germany

If you are looking for a different type of vacation to Germany, consider visiting the castles in the Trifels area. Each of the three mountain peaks house a medieval castle, with the largest and most imposing resting atop the highest mountain. Once a military outpost that capitalized on its unique setting to protect the town below, the Trifels castles are now a popular German tourist attraction.

The Trifels castles in Germany: Where to find them

Near the small German town of Annweiler, you will see the amazing castles that rest on the Trifels. Trifels literally means "three rocks" in German, and that is what visitors first see as they come upon the town. There is one main rock that has two clefts, with each peak housing one of these three German castles. The largest castle, Sonnenberg, is located on the tallest mountain. The name Sonnenberg translates to "sun mountain" in German. The two smaller castles, Munz and Anebos, sit on the lower peaks and were constructed as reinforcements to defend the main castle of Sonnenberg against attacks.

The Trifels castles in Germany: Their military prowess

During its time, Trifels was impenetrable because of its difficult to reach location and reinforce walls. Even now that these German castles have been converted to tourist attractions, it can still be quite difficult to walk to the top. From the main parking lot, there are many steep stairs to climb before you reach the central tower. This tower was built in the early 13th century and served as the gateway to the castle's great hall. This massive tower also housed a chapel on one of the upper floors. Outside of the ring wall, you will find one of the original medieval structures on the Trifels site, a well-tower that dates back even earlier than the 13th century.

The Trifels castles in Germany: Today's uses

The German Trifels castle has a history as a defense post in the area that goes all the way back to Frederick I Barbarossa in the year 1081. Over the centuries, power changed hands in the region and so did the Trifels castle. At one time, the castle even stored the jewels of the Roman Empire to protect them from theft. In the 17th century, the local villages began to use the Trifels castle as a rock quarry since it was no longer needed to protect the area from invasion. In 1866, the Trifels Foundation was formed to protect the castle from further deterioration and to establish it as a German tourist destination.