We explored the Hohenecken Castle Ruins one afternoon.

It’s an easy drive from the KMC area. We were pleasantly surprised by this little gem in the woods.

We drove to Hohenecken village and parked in the public lot down the street from the entrance.

We walked and followed the signs to this hiking trail. Wild blackberries and pretty flowers lined the path.

The kids had fun walking up the hill and peeking through the trees to see the castle. It’s fun to see the wildflowers and berries.

The castle walls are still well-preserved.

The kids loved the little medieval festival that we didn’t even know was happening. Displays of knight’s armor, traditional cooking methods, and crafts were entertaining for the kids. We’ll review this for medieval studies in history!

There were handmade leather boots and naturally dyed yarn from local plants and berries.

The imperial castle “Honecken”, first mentioned in 1212, was constructed for the protection of the imperial lands and the imperial palace. It was the seat of the dynasty of the estate officials of Hohenecken whose members rose to high office. In 1481 one quarter of the castle was sold to the Electorate of the Palatinate. In 1525, during the Peasants’ War, it was ravaged by peasants.

Around 1560 the castle was expanded. Following disputes between the Hohenecken family and the Electorate, it was partially destroyed in 1668 and completely blown up by French troops in 1689 during the Palatine War of Succession. The ruins are one of the most impressive testimonies of Hohenstaufen architecture.

The tower and tree in the courtyard.

Keep an eye on the kids if they wander and explore. There are no railings and lots of rubble, holes, places with no steps.

The view from the castle of the village:

The ruins and festival were free, which we love! It’s an easy hike with kids. They had fun exploring.

Hohenecken is about 20 minutes from Ramstein and 1.5 hours from Spangdahlem.

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Knight Unit Study