Schloss Marbach, Hillside castle in Öhningen, Germany

Schloss Marbach stands on the Höri peninsula about 40 metres above the Untersee, with its grounds running down to the lake shore. The present outer walls date from the renovation carried out after 1829 by Count de Grimaudet, and the building was raised to four storeys in the late 1890s. It is used today as a conference centre.

Schloss Marbach first appeared in written records in 1291, at a time when fortified buildings were going up across the German-Swiss border region. Over the following centuries it changed hands several times and was rebuilt and extended along the way.

The name Marbach comes from the castle's first mention in 1291 in the chronicle of Reichenau Abbey, where Abbot Albrecht von Ramstein wrote of "castro nostro quod Marbach dicitur". Since 1987 the complex has belonged to the Jacobs Suchard coffee and chocolate group, and it now serves as a conference centre. In the park, remains of the Märchenbrunnen fountain built by Karl Lanz survive; its figures depict the Lanz children.

The castle is easy to reach by car and has parking on site, while those arriving on foot should allow extra time for the uphill path from the village. Comfortable walking shoes are helpful as parts of the grounds are on a slope.

The castle sits so close to the Swiss border that from its terraces you can look across Lake Constance and see both the German and Swiss shores at once. This borderline position meant the castle was caught up in disputes between neighboring territories for much of its early history.