Since November 2015 

A Hohenstaufen castle dating back to the 12th century

Burg Katzenstein, a historical Hohenstaufen castle dating back to the 12th century with its romantic 14th century castle chapel, is probably one of the oldest castles in south Germany. It is situated on the lower Härtsfeld plateau between the wildly romantic Katzenbach stream and the Egautal (Egau Valley).

Building styles and building materials of the various sections of the castle bear witness to an eventful history and diverse geology. The castle is mainly constructed from light- and dark-coloured limestone. The frames of the windows and doors of the medieval part of Burg Katzenstein are made of a somewhat porous stone which is distinctly different in both structure and appearance from the limestones of the Swabian Alb. This is suevite, the Swabian stone, which is linked with the Ries meteorite crater nearby. The suevite was investigated in 1960, solving the mystery of how the crater was formed.

Opening hours:

Daily except Mondays from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Guided tour at 11 a.m., 2, 3 and 4 p.m., groups welcome at any time by
prior arrangement (evening tours)

Oberer Weiler 1-3
89561 Dischingen
Tel.: +49 (0) 73 26 - 91 96 56 | Fax.: +49 (0) 73 26 - 96 35 24
www.burgkatzenstein.de | info@burgkatzenstein.de

The Geopark information centres

The following information is available at the Geopark information centres on:
~ offers at the Geoparks
~ the geology, flora and fauna of the Alb
~ Stone Age man
~ the striking of the meteorite on the Alb.
Each Geopark information centre, however, has its own special focus.