It is a term derived from the German Höhenburg used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location.
[1] In the earliest centuries of castle construction only great nobles and kings had the power to build them.
From the 12th century, however, the higher imperial ministeriales also built representative hill castles.
Today hill castles primarily serve as tourist attractions, mainly because they often have good views − albeit in some cases for the cost of an entrance fee.
In some cases, where they are preserved, the interior of the castle may be visited.