The Sababurg, first called the Zappenburg, then Zapfenburg and today, after the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Sleeping Beauty Castle (German: Dornröschenschloss), is the ruin of a hill castle in the legendary Reinhardswald, a forested upland that runs through the North Hessian county of Kassel.

The hill castle appears in 1334 as the Zappenburg[1] to protect pilgrims to the nearby pilgrimage site of Gottsbüren.

Together with the Trendelburg and Krukenburg the present ruins belong to the three best known castles in the Reinhardswald region, although the latter is just outside this forest.

[3] Southwest and below the castle is the Sababurg Wildlife Park, through which the little stream of Donnebach, an eastern and right-hand tributary of the Holzape, runs in a northwesterly direction.

Construction on the Zappenburg (formerly: Zappaborgck and Zappenborgck) began on 19 April 1334[1] to protect and guard pilgrims to the nearby pilgrimage site of Gottsbüren, "where in 1330 the uncorrupted body of Jesus is supposed to have been found".

In 1490[1] Landgrave William I (1466–1515) "built a fine hunting lodge on the foundation walls of the original site, which was to be a venue for innumerable prestigious festivals and gatherings for 300 years".

[1] In 1987 the first municipal wedding venue in Germany located outside of a town hall was established at the Sababurg.

The Sababurg has been open to visitors to a limited extent since 2018 due to extensive renovation work.

[9] After Revision of the plans, the new hotel building will consist largely of wood, which will lead to an increase in costs to 43 million euros.