It lies within the Palatine Forest above the Elmstein Valley at 265 m above sea level (NN) in the vicinity of the hamlet of Erfenstein in the municipality of Esthal (county of Bad Dürkheim).

The historic background to the legend is that both castles were always owned by different lords - to begin with the Spangenberg belonged to the prince-bishops of Speyer and Erfenstein, as mentioned, to the Leiningens - who were in competition with one another.

In 1470 when their owners had subsequently changed, both castles were destroyed - first Erfenstein and then the Spangenberg - by their opponents during the Weißenburg Feud between Elector Frederick I of the Palatinate and his cousin, Duke Louis I of Palatinate-Zweibrücken.

Of the older site, which lies above New Erfenstein, practically nothing has survived apart from the outer neck ditch that is almost entirely filled with earth and - on an eight-metre-high rock – several rusticated ashlars of a once square bergfried.

Rapid deterioration of the site, especially the stump of the tower of the upper ward, is occurring, due to vegetation and the climbing of rocks and ruins by visitors.