Hohenstein Castle is the ruin of a rock castle at 330 m above sea level. NN near Bad Schwalbach in the Hessian Rheingau-Taunus district and belongs to the community of Hohenstein. It is one of the largest castle ruins in the Taunus.
The castle is believed to have been built by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen between 1190 and 1230.
From 1260 the castle served as a residence for the younger line of the Counts von Katzenelnbogen. Count Johann III. von Katzenelnbogen (1402–1444) had the castle enlarged around 1422. It is believed that the complex was destroyed or badly damaged in conflicts with the Counts of Nassau at the beginning of the 15th century.
With the death of Philip von Katzenelnbogen in 1479, the male line of the Counts von Katzenelnbogen died out. About the heir Anna, who lived with Landgrave Heinrich III. von Hessen-Marburg was married, the entire county of Katzenelnbogen came with the castle to Hessen.
Around 1604, Landgrave Moritz von Hessen-Kassel had the neglected complex restored. Around 1616 he stayed at the castle frequently. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was set on fire and destroyed by troops from Lower Hesse in 1647. A planned reconstruction did not take place. The castle has been owned by the State of Hesse since 1949.
(Source: wikipedia)