Burgruine Untergreifenstein

Lichtenstein, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Germany

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Burgruine Untergreifenstein is the lower of two small medieval hilltop castles that together form the Burg Greifenstein group on a rocky plateau at about 755 meters above sea level above the Holzelfinger Tal in the municipality of Lichtenstein in the Reutlingen district of Baden‑Württemberg, Germany.

The fortress, also known simply as Untergreifenstein, was built in the 12th century by the local Ritter von Greifenstein as their first seat on a narrow spur slightly below the later Obergreifenstein, and both castles were destroyed in the Imperial War of 1311–1312 before passing to the counts of Württemberg.

Today only minor wall remnants and traces of ditches are visible at the Untergreifenstein site, so it is best understood as a wooded, atmospheric ruin rather than a preserved castle, while the nearby Oberer Greifenstein has somewhat more substantial remains. The spot lies in a scenic area of the Swabian Alb’s Albtrauf and is typically visited by hikers exploring the Greifenstein ruins and the surrounding Holzfeilingen valley landscapes.