Dilsberg castle went through an exemplary development from a round village with a central green on the mountain peak to a castle with a keep and finally to a rampart castle.
According to its topographical location, Dilsberg Castle, which was erected on a natural rise, is a mountain castle. The complex is divided into the domestic buildings (Vorburg) and the main castle (Hauptburg). The domestic buildings include the prison, the royal stables (Marstall) with the granary (Fruchtspeicher), the hoop building (Bandhaus) and the garrison barracks (Garnisonskaserne). The "Palas" (residential building) was located in the courtyard (Hof) of the main castle. Only the cellar vaulting (today the so-called Witch's Cellar (Hexenkeller)) of this building and a hexagonal tower, the so-called Staircase Tower (Treppenturm) have been preserved until today. The tower is now a vantage point with a view over the town and the Neckar River valley. The entire main castle was surrounded by a 52 ft (16 m) high ring wall, the eastern and southern sections of which were torn down.
The remains of the castle complex from the 14th century are still clearly visible today, as stone blocks of various types and ages were mixed during construction. This is especially easy to recognize on the inner side of the rampart. There the older large rusticated ashlars of the first building phases were mounted in the upper area, probably due to their decorative character. However, the high rampart of Dilsberg Castle was already outdated at the time of its construction around 1350. For with the advent of firearms in the 14th century, castle construction also changed.