At Lichtenstein Castle (Schloss Lichtenstein), in the district of Reutlingen, federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany

 "Everything changes, even stone." -- Claude Monet

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(in the district of Reutlingen, nicknamed "The Gate to the Swabian Alps" ["Das Tor zur Schwäbischen Alb"], in the middle of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg) The Swabian Alb is mostly located in Baden-Württemberg, but its northeastern foothills are in Bavaria, and the southwest foothills, in the Swiss cantons of Aargau and Schaffhausen. The mountains here consist of Mesozoic limestone from the Jurassic period, and are considered one of the largest contiguous karst areas in Germany. In addition to the Black Forest, and Lake Constance, the Swabian Alb is considered one of the main tourist attractions in southwestern Germany. It is now quite popular as a hiking, climbing, and winter sports region. It is also known for its geological peculiarities; due to the long history of human settlement (since the Stone Age), which has left numerous material and constructive legacies from all epochs, it remains a region with a rich cultural heritage.

+ Featured here is Lichtenstein Castle (Schloss Lichtenstein) a privately-owned Gothic Revival castle found on an escarpment that marks the northwestern edge of the Swabian Alps of southern Germany. Designed by Carl Alexander Heideloff, its name means "shining stone" or "bright stone." The castle overlooks the Echaz River (a tributary of the Neckar River) in Baden-Württemberg. The modern castle was inspired by Wilhelm Hauff's 1826 novel, Lichtenstein, and was built in the early 1840s. The castle is located in the municipality of Lichtenstein in the district of Reutlingen, at an altitude of about 250 meters above the Echaz River valley (The ruins of Lichtenstein Castle's medieval predecessor, the Burg Alt-Lichtenstein, lies some 500 meters away.) Construction of the current Lichtenstein Castle began in 1840 and was managed by Johann Georg Rupp. This structure, its design heavily influenced by Count (later Duke) Wilhelm von Urach, King Frederick's cousin, sits atop the foundations of the former medieval castle (of 1390), and stands up to three stories tall, with a curtain wall and courtyard to complete the castle complex. A barbican and a sprawling outer bailey, complete with corner bastions and turrets, was constructed in 1857. The most important artworks inside the castle are "Death of the Virgin Mary" by Michael Wolgemut and two altar panels by an unknown Austrian artist called the "Master of Lichtenstein." The castle was completed in 1842, and the king was present for its inauguration ceremony. In 1869, Schloss Lichtenstein became the official residence of the dukes of Urach. (This Castle, it should be noted, has no connections with the small European nation of Liechtenstein.)