•It is a ruined rock castle about 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) east of the village of Merzalben in Germany.
•It is built on a rock plateau 12 meters (39 ft) high at an elevation of 447 meters (1,467 ft) above sea level.
•Gräfenstein served as an administration center for the surrounding farms and villages and had the defense capacity.
•Gräfenstein Castle was originally built by the Saarbrücken counts as a replacement for a previously destroyed stone fortress already existent.
•In 1220, Gräfenstein Castle was first mentioned in a document.
•During the Thirty-Years War, Gräfenstein was burnt down accidentally in 1635, when imperial troops, who used the castle as garrison, were careless with fire.
•From that on, Gräfenstein Castle has been ruined. In the 20th century, the castle was partially renovated
