Sporkenburg Castle

Sporkenburg Castle, is a spur castle on a wooded hill south of the village of Eitelborn, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany.

Sporkenburg Castle was built in 1310 by Heinrich II von Helfenstein after a late-13th century predecessor (probably not at the same site) had been destroyed. Upon completion Heinrich assigned the castle to the Archbishop of Trier; Baldwin of Luxembourg, as a fief.

In 1515 Johann von Helfenstein sold the castle to the brothers Johann and Quyrin von Nassau. In the deed it was already described as being "almost ruined". Around 1603 it went to the Von Metternich family through inheritance. Around 1635, during the Thirty Years' War, the castle was finally destroyed by French troops. After that, the ruined castle became a stone quarry for the locals.

Originally Sporkenburg Castle would have been a somewhat rectangular fortification with a large shield wall protecting it from the rest of the spur. It lacked a separate keep.

At present Sporkenburg Castle is freely accessible. A beautiful ruin in a nice wooded area.

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