Flossenburg Castle Ruins – Germany
Old places have always fascinated me. In the States, we have a very short history in comparison, so the amazing and rich history here in Europe amazes me. Even in the small towns and villages, you can find smaller “castles” and places to explore that hold amazing stories that date back far into history. When I visit these places my imagination runs wild and I try to envision what it might have been like in its prime.
With that said, you can be sure that castle ruins are something high on my list. While my friend Kat was visiting I wanted to make sure to take her to at least one castle ruin and Flossenburg fit perfectly into our plans.
We wanted to try and hike up for the sunset. The problem is that during the winter sunset is EARLY here in Bavaria. So we got a bit of a late start and had to book it up the mountain once we arrived. You can see more in my vlog for the day here:
But we did manage to see the last of the sunset from the top.
Sunset from the top of Flossenburg Castle
Flossenburg truly does reach back into history. The site was originally used as the Hohenstaufen‘s stronghold in the mid 900’s – yeah, just 3 digits. This was the middle ages dynasty of kings in Germany. Later in the 1700’s, it fell into the hands of the duchy of Neuburg-Sulzbach.
Looking down into Flossenburg Ruins from the top
We climbed to the top of the highest tower that was left to get an even better view. The stairs have been worn from year and years of use. It is amazing to think about how many people have walked those stairs through the years.
Making our way back down slowly, careful not to slip on the ice, we enjoyed taking in the amazing rock work and architecture. I wish it was more than ruins, but I still think it is amazing to walk through.
Kat hanging out in the Flossenburg Ruins
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I loved your vlog! I saw your article on Copromote. I have been thinking of buying a GoPro or something similar to just capture some amazing places in videos. Love your blog. Keep traveling.
Thank you so much 🙂 You should do it!!!
Hi, going to Flossenbürg and mentioning only the old castle is like going to Auschwitz and just musing about the nice old town. Flossenbürg was one of the worst German concentration camps and the administration there did a lot to hide that fact until the late 90s. The place is even visible on your second image (4 housing blocks on the upper margin of the image at ca. 11o’clock. I think it is well worth to get informed about the camp here: http://www.gedenkstaette-flossenbuerg.de/en/home/
I did not write about the concentration camp because I have not been. Much of my blog is written as a personal travel diary and this was a quick stop off to hike and then we were back in the car on the way to a Christmas market. I did not neglect to mention it to hide anything, I simply did not go. I have actually read much about the camp and agree that it is important that it is not forgotten. I choose not to visit, though. I went to Dachau and had to leave shortly after arriving. There is too much emotion for me to handle and it is hard to watch the many people that don’t seem to care about where they are. I don’t think these sights should be a place for selfies and laughter. For this same reason, I just don’t think it would be appropriate for me to casually mention the camp in a post about hiking around a castle ruins before going to a Christmas market. I hope you understand my reasoning, as it is not meant to be malicious, simply respectful.