The Löwenburg (Lion Castle) is the romantic counterweight to the classical Herkules at the other end of the park — a faux-medieval castle perched on a wooded hill, built deliberately to look as though parts of it had collapsed centuries earlier. It was the elector Wilhelm IX's private hunting retreat and shrine to his enthusiasms for chivalry and the Middle Ages.
Inside is a small museum of weaponry, religious art, and curiosities. The roofless "ruined" courtyard is the most photographed part. The walk from Wilhelmshöhe Palace up through the woods to the Löwenburg takes about 45 minutes and is one of the great park walks in Germany.