Burg Reichenstein, castle

Burg Reichenstein is a castle in Lauterach situated on a hill about 585 meters above sea level, with massive walls built from rounded stones and a main tower called the bergfried standing roughly 20 meters high. The structure displays simple, functional design focused on defense and living space, with thick walls and remaining tower sections that show its original purpose as a fortress and residence.

The castle was built between 1230 and 1250 during the Staufer period, initially serving the Lords of Stain as an outpost before falling under control of Benedictine monks from Zwiefalten monastery around 1499. Damaged during the 1525 Peasants' War, it was abandoned by 1600 and left to decay until the main tower underwent repair in 1971 to make it accessible to visitors again.

The castle's name combines the Middle High German words for "rich" and "stone", a common castle name in German-speaking lands. The site is also called "alter Burgstall" in records from around 1600, a term for an abandoned castle site. Visitors today reach the restored keep via paths laid out in 1986 and 1996.

The keep has been open as a lookout tower since its 1971 restoration, which added a new ground-level entrance; the approach paths were relaid in 1986 and 1996. The site stands on a slope of the Große Lauter valley at 585 m above sea level near the Reichenstein district of Lauterach.

The Benedictine monks of Zwiefalten monastery took control of the castle around 1499, revealing that religious institutions owned and managed fortifications alongside secular rulers. This monastic use remains evident in the site's history and distinguishes it from purely noble family holdings of the period.