Willibaldsburg

Willibaldsburg
Eichstätt
The Willibaldsburg from the west
Willibaldsburg
Coordinates	48°53′41″N 11°10′08″E / 48.8947°N 11.1688°E / 48.8947; 11.1688Coordinates: 48°53′41″N 11°10′08″E / 48.8947°N 11.1688°E / 48.8947; 11.1688
Type	hill castle, spur castle
Code	DE-BY
Height	464 m above sea level (NN)
Site information
Condition	preserved or largely preserved
Site history
Built	1070/1353

The Willibaldsburg is a spur castle, built around the year 1353, in Eichstätt in Upper Bavaria. Until the middle of the 18th century it was the representative castle and seat of Eichstätt's prince-bishops.

The fortified palace lies west of the Old Town on an elongated hill ridge, the Willibaldsberg (464 m above sea level (NN); see Willibald von Eichstätt), above the Altmühl valley. Its total length is about 420 metres and it is naturally well protected thanks to its location. The Altmühl river here forms a sharp bend which, due to the resulting ridge was an ideal spot for the medieval castle and later fortress.

The high medieval castle of Bishop Berthold lay on the western spur of the castle hill. This first castle probably comprised a large stone house, a tower and a chapel, protected by surrounding curtain walls and moats.