Merkenstein Castle was rebuilt in 1844. It has been renovated true to the original and is privately owned. The property is therefore not open to the public.
As the first owner of Rauheneck, Hartung is first mentioned by Ruhenekke in an undated document (around 1130). The family of the Rauhenecker (who called themselves after 1200 "Tursen") colonized …
A palace or castle complex on the same site can be traced back to the 11th century. The castle was redesigned in its current form by the industrialist Urban at …