Top 20 Castles around Pfalzgrafenweiler

High above the old town sits Altensteig Castle, whose impressive residential tower is considered the only castle in the Black Forest never destroyed to this day. The "Old Castle" in its present basic form was built as a defensive structure from around 1230. The flank towers "Himmel" (Heaven) and "Hölle" (Hell) and the late Romanesque shield wall bear witness to this. The bailiffs of the Counts Palatine of Tübingen and a collateral line of the Hohenbergs resided here. After the sale of the castle and dominion to the Margraves of Baden at the end of the 14th century, the ensemble became the seat of the Baden bailiffs, who inscribed their names on a window arch in the knights' hall. In 1604, Altensteig came to Württemberg from Baden through an exchange of territory. And the new rulers commissioned the "New Castle" around 1610.

The Mandelberg Castle, also called Mantelburg, is located on a wooded ridge in the middle of a deep forest, above the Waldachtal valley. The present-day path leads into the former moat of the castle and offers visitors the opportunity to circle the complex almost completely. Burg Mandelberg lies on a rock that was completely separated from its surroundings by a moat. The outer bailey was located in the moat, among other places. It included a small cave, which can still be visited today, as well as some buildings, of which foundations and meter-high walls are still recognizable. Via a zwinger with two defensive towers, which are still recognizable as stumps, one reaches the inner bailey. The inner bailey presents a similar picture to the outer bailey. The steeply sloping terrain once housed a palas, a well, a mighty curtain wall, and the keep. Further buildings may have existed due to the size of the open spaces. Today, all three mentioned buildings are still present, although they differ greatly in their state of preservation. The palas was built onto the southern outer wall and can be found up to a height of two meters or more. Due to the sloping terrain, it appears very stepped. The partially used bossed ashlar stones, which indicate a Staufen origin, are clearly recognizable. Besides a door frame with a washed-out threshold, some small windows can still be found. The palas probably had one or two stories. In the middle of the courtyard lies the old well. A grate adorns its top. Behind the well to the northwest, north of the keep, one encounters the old and thick curtain wall, which secured the castle towards the moat, and the remains of another small wall that might once have belonged to a building. The crowning glory of the castle is the rebuilt and restored keep, which with its proud height towers a few meters above the surrounding forest. It is still accessible today via its original entrance. A spiral staircase, consisting of a steel construction, leads there. In place of the former landing, then fastened and secured by still existing beam supports, a steel/concrete construction brings the visitor into the interior of the tower. Slightly above the entrance, further beam supports bear witness to a surrounding walkway. Source: https://burgenarchiv.de/burg_mandelberg_in_baden-wuerttemberg#kurzinfo

The Mandelberg Castle ruin, also called Mantelberg Castle ruin, is the ruin of a hilltop castle 570 m above sea level in the Bösingen district of the municipality of Pfalzgrafenweiler in the district of Freudenstadt in Baden-Württemberg, above the Waldach valley. The keep, used as a viewing tower, and parts of the foundation walls are still present. Archaeological excavations showed that a predecessor structure was built in the 11th century. The castle is first mentioned in documents in 1287. In 1385, Count Wolf von Eberstein bought the structure from Hans Müller von Mandelberg for 1000 guilders. As early as 1387, the owner was Margrave Rudolf of Baden. The castle itself burned down completely during the Peasants' Wars in 1525 and was not rebuilt. In 1970, the municipality of Pfalzgrafenweiler bought the building remains. The 35-meter-high keep was renovated and made accessible in 1975. Archaeological evidence could be provided for the destruction of the castle in 1525 mentioned in sources. No traces of the castle's use after 1525 could be found. The archaeological investigations revealed that the castle was built and expanded in three phases. The first structure, consisting of wooden or half-timbered buildings, was likely built in the late 11th century and used until the mid-13th century. Towards the end of its period of use, the much larger second castle was built. The complex had a almond-shaped floor plan with dimensions of 45 by 32.5 meters. In the west of the site stands the almost square keep, which is still preserved today. The wall from this tower to the north corner of the complex, presumably a shield wall, was added later, as was the wall adjoining the keep to the south. These walls supported a rampart walk. The inner buildings at the time could no longer be determined, as further expansion took place in the mid-15th century. A cistern was already built in the 14th century; during the expansion in the 15th century, a new palace was built in the south corner, and possibly a utility building in the north corner. The barbican on the east side was also likely built in the 15th century. This was later partially renewed. It is assumed that the castle was completely surrounded by a barbican by around 1500 at the latest. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruine_Mandelberg

Unfortunately very private

The Mantelberg Castle was first mentioned in documents in 1287. At that time, the owners were the Müller von Mantelberg family, who, like some other families from the area, bore a golden fish on a black field as their coat of arms. In 1385, Reaf Wolf von Eberstein acquired the castle, and in 1389, Margrave Rudolf von Baden. Afterwards, it was a Baden fief in the possession of various notable nobles. The approximately 33-meter-high keep survived the destruction by the rebellious peasants in 1525. In 1973/74, it was structurally secured and made accessible by the municipality of Bösingen with subsidies from the district of Freudenstadt, the state of Baden-Württemberg, and the Überschwäbische Elektrizitätswerke.

Beautiful and very large medieval castle ruins – clearly visible from afar as a landmark above the town of Nagold. Accessible via various hiking trails through the forest surrounding the Schlossberg. Great views of the Heckengäu, the Black Forest, and, in good weather, even the Swabian Alb. Served on weekends in the summer. Regular events are also held.

Beautifully situated in the forest

A little hard to find, and unfortunately a little neglected. Very manageable. But still OK as part of the attraction on the Four Castles Trail.