Dollendorf castle ruins near Schlosstal, with the finger of God.

The folksy name "Finger of God" owes the castle ruin Dollendorf near Blankenheim (Ahr) to the half preserved and originally 20 m high tower. From afar, the tower resembles a finger that juts out into the sky. Next to the tower, the ground plans of the castle alone have been preserved.

Dollendorf Castle is the ruin of an old hilltop castle that served as a residence for the noble people of Dollendorf, first mentioned in 893, until the middle of the 15th century. The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1077. In the 12th century it became a Cologne fiefdom, and in the 13th century it came under the feudal sovereignty of the Counts of Luxembourg and the Counts of Jülich.

Because of its silhouette, which can be recognized from a distance, it is also known as the finger of God. This name comes from the fact that half of the keep, over 20 meters high, remained standing. Since the castle is on a hill, you can see the top of this tower even from a great distance. People referred to them as God's fingers because this tower resembles the shape of a finger and rises high into the clouds. Its floor plan can still be seen clearly, and some of the higher walls are still well preserved. Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Dollendorf

The story of the castle ruins Schlossthal is well described. This gives you a very good feeling for how you sometimes lived hundreds of years ago up here in the Eifel.