Rothenfels is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia (Unterfranken) in Bavaria, Germany, and a member of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft (municipal association) of Marktheidenfeld.

From the north, clockwise: Neustadt am Main, Marktheidenfeld, Hafenlohr, Fürstlich Löwensteinscher Park [de] (gemeindefreies Gebiet).

Marquardt II von Grumbach, Vogt of Neustadt Abbey, built a "hunting lodge" on the hill where the castle stands today.

[3]: 40 The settlements, which arose under Rothenfels Castle's protection, were the later town in the valley and the farming estate that later became Bergrothenfels.

After prolonged legal fighting, the Counts lost their territory to the Archbishopric of Mainz, the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg and the Lords of Hanau.

[3]: 40 In the 16th and early 17th century Rothenfels faced hardships, e.g. during the German Peasants War (1525) when the insurgents occupied and burned the castle.

The Thirty Years' War brought another period of destruction: the castle was repeatedly occupied by passing armies and sacked.

[3]: 41 After World War II many Vertriebene came to the area, but Rothenfels remained the smallest municipality with town rights in Bavaria.

[4] The town's arms might be described thus: Or in base water argent, issuant therefrom three crags gules, in chief the letter R of the same.