Founded in the 2nd half of the 12th century as the successor to the destroyed "Schlössel" further up the hill to protect Klingenmünster Abbey. Mentioned in documents in 1237, owned by the Counts of Leiningen, who (probably as successors to the Counts of Saarbrücken) held the monastery bailiwick. After the Leiningen-Landeck line died out in 1289, Landeck fell equally to the Lords of Ochsenstein and the Counts of Zweibrücken-Bitsch. In 1485 and 1570 respectively, the Electoral Palatinate inherited both, which in 1709 also regained the quarter ceded by the Ochsenstein family to the Bishop of Speyer in 1405. The castle was destroyed by the French in 1689. Repairs can be traced back to around 1910 and 1964-66. (Dieter Barz).
The main parts of the core castle (shield wall, keep, palas, residential building, cistern and poterne) can be dated to the 2nd half of the 12th century or around 1200. In the 13th/14th century, the stone kennel was extended and in the 14th/15th century it was additionally reinforced by a gateway kennel. In the 15th century, the so-called Beumin House was built on the eastern curtain wall in the core castle and the passage to the poterne was built over. (Dieter Barz)
Landeck Castle is separated from the rising hill by a deep moat. Access to the core castle is provided by a bridge built in 1967, which rests on the preserved medieval bridge pillars and leads to a 13th century gateway. The other gateway leads through a late medieval barbican to the main gate, which is set into the wall and thus protected from shelling. The shield wall with the integrated square keep is of particular interest. The walls feature carefully carved,
cushion-shaped humpback ashlars. In addition to the stonemason's marks, recognisable armour holes deserve attention. The courtyard area is bordered by the foundation walls of the two still recognisable residential buildings. The western building, the "Stone House", is probably a building that was erected at the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century on behalf of the Counts of Zweibrücken and the Lords of Ochsenstein. The outer wall still extends to the height of the second storey and has partially broken-out rectangular windows with side sills. On the east side of the courtyard is the "beumin" house from the late 14th or early 15th century, which was probably built on the upper floor in half-timbered construction. In 1421, the space between the two buildings on the south wall was closed off by a transverse building. The main tower, which is completely clad with humpback ashlars and was placed at an angle to the attack side, has its original entrance at a height of twelve metres. A simple tent roof rose above the battlements. The castle enclosure with half-shell towers dates from the late Middle Ages (after 1416). The kennel wall and flanking towers are equipped with keyhole embrasures. (Jens Friedhoff)