The ruins of Straußberg Castle are somewhat hidden in the forests of the Hainleite, in the district of the same name in the town of Sondershausen. The castle was built in the 13th century. The owners of Straußberg Castle included the Counts of Hohnstein and the Counts of Schwarzburg, under whose rule the castle was structurally upgraded once again in the 16th century with a castle-like residential building, a castle chapel and new farm buildings. With the "princely expropriation" in 1918, Straußberg Castle passed to the state of Thuringia. After the land reform in 1945, the outer bailey was divided into settlers' plots. The castle has not been used since the 1950s and parts of the complex had to be demolished for safety reasons. The Straußburg e.V. interest group is committed to securing and reviving the ruins of Straußberg Castle. The outer bailey with the manor house and the 30-metre-high keep are still preserved and well worth seeing.