The castle, built in the 13th century, was first mentioned in a document in 1248 in the possession of the Counts of Sponheim and in 1301 was the residence of Count Simon II of Sponheim. Already in 1226 Hilger and Gerhard von Kestellin are mentioned in a document. Whether the two named after the castle or after the place is not secured.
In 1321, the castle was besieged by Archbishop Balduin von Trier. In 1325 he built the nearby castle Balduinseck against the Sponheim lands.
When Walram von Sponheim had left Kastellaun in 1340, the castle was administered by stewards and castle men. After the extinction of the Counts of Sponheim the castle fell with the county to the Margrave Bernhard of Baden and the Count Friedrich von Veldenz. The two practiced the so-called common rule.
The last Count of Velden died in 1444 and passed on his share of the common part to his son-in-law Stefan von Pfalz-Simmern-Zweibrücken. As a result, the rear county Sponheim was drawn into the Palatine sphere of interest, involved in wars and property of the Palatinate.
In 1594 the castle was a haven for Margrave Eduard Fortunatus, who had been driven out of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden, and again became a residence.
During the Thirty Years' War from 1618 to 1648, the castle was occupied and demolished by French troops in the Palatinate War of Succession in 1689. In the process, part of the explosive did not detonate on the powder tower, which is why it is still preserved to one side today. The castle Kastellaun was not rebuilt afterwards.
In 1820, the ruin came privately owned, in 1884 she bought the city Kastellaun and made first backups. 1990 to 1993, the castle hill and the castle ruin were renovated, lower castle and access were rebuilt