The ruins of Ramstein Castle stand on a 182-metre-high, Bunter sandstone rock on the edge of the Meulenwald forest in the lower, steep-sided Kyll valley near Kordel.
The hill castle was built in the early 14th century by the Archbishop of Trier, Diether of Nassau as the successor to a fortified manor farm. From then on, it was a fief castle of the Electorate of Trier which was enfeoffed (subleased) to electoral subjects and cathedral deans. During the War of the Palatine Succession, the castle was occupied by French troops and largely blown up in 1689. The great damage was not repaired. However, tall sections of curtain walls, elements of corner towers and almost of all the exterior and the stone staircases of its medieval tower house stand.
Three larger-footprint modern buildings including a hotel-restaurant are on the southern part of the east-facing promontory. The hotel's outdoor terrace overlooks the lightly or densely wooded valley, depending on direction views. Fields have likely long stood next to the near-bend of the river enabling a clear view to the impassably sheer hillside (on horseback) on the opposite bank and intervening north–south route.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.