Schwarzenburg, Medieval castle ruins near Waldkirch, Germany.
Schwarzenburg is a ruined hill castle on the 656.2-metre Schwarzenberg, a spur of the Kandel above Waldkirch. Its surviving remains include parts of the shell tower, the castle chapel, the palas and service buildings; the bergfried is completely gone. The neck ditch and the outer southern bastion are still visible in the terrain, and the whole site measures about 140 by 40 metres.
The castle was founded around 1120 by the Schwarzenberg noble family and served as their residence for several centuries. It was abandoned in the 15th century and gradually declined into the ruin visible today.
The name Schwarzenburg comes from the Schwarzenberg family, who took their name from the mountain after Conrad Waldkilcha began calling himself Conrad of Suarzinberg around 1136. The castle gave its name to the Schwarzenberger Hof, whose site is now occupied by the Schwarzenbergerhütte. A sign erected by the town of Waldkirch in 1995 lists the castle's historical dates for visitors.
The ruins stand on the 656 m Schwarzenberg, a spur of the Kandel above Waldkirch. They have been accessible to the public since 1980, and a sign with the castle's historical dates was put up by the town in 1995. The site covers roughly 140 by 40 metres; the neck ditch and the southern bastion are still readable in the ground.
The castle chapel area held a World War I anti-aircraft position, and the Schwarzenberger Hof farm once stood where the Schwarzenbergerhütte now is. The neck ditch before the vanished bergfried and the outer southern bastion remain clearly visible in the terrain.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,098 contributors worldwide.