Lichtenstein Castle

Lichtenstein Castle is situated on a cliff located near Honau on the Swabian Alb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Historically, there has been a castle on the site since around 1200. It was twice destroyed, once in the Reichskrieg's War of 1311 and again by the city-state of Reutlingen in 1381. The castle was not reconstructed and subsequently fell to ruin.

In 1802, the land came into the hands of King Frederick I of Württemberg, who built a hunting lodge there. By 1837, the land had passed to his nephew Duke Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Württemberg, who, inspired by Wilhelm Hauff's novel Lichtenstein, added the current castle in 1840–42. The romantic Neo-Gothic design of the castle was created by the architect Carl Alexander Heideloff.

Today, the castle is still owned by the Dukes of Urach, but is open to visitors. The castle contains a large collection of historic weapons and armour.

Replica in Hout Bay, South Africa
A Cape Town businessman Reynier Fritz, who was well known in advertising circles, first saw the 19th-century Schloss Lichtenstein in the land of his ancestors, and decided to one day replicate it in Hout Bay. He was able to start building his dream in 1986 and 12 years later it was completed. He eventually turned it into a guest house before he died there. Sometime after his death, his widow, Christine, sold it to an overseas buyer. The main hall has carved beams, a vaulted wooden ceiling, and leaded stained-glass windows. The castle has 12 en-suite bedrooms, a library, a banquet hall for 140, and a conference centre for 40. Other luxuries include a swimming pool, a helipad, and a natural waterfall.