Schadeck Castle

Burg Schadeck, also known as Katzenelnbogen, is a medieval Trutzburg — a purpose-built counter-castle — perched on a rocky spur directly opposite Burg Runkel on the river Lahn in the Hessian town of Runkel. Built in 1288, its sole strategic purpose was to threaten and besiege the rival fortress across the water, controlling the river crossing and trade route below. After changing hands through the late Middle Ages, the castle fell into ruin and is now a protected cultural monument. The rocky plateau offers a rare vantage point over the Lahn valley with Runkel's still-inhabited castle directly opposite — one of the few places in Hesse where two medieval fortresses face each other across a river. The ruin is accessible on foot via the Lahnhöhenweg hiking trail.