Burgstall Rechbergle

The Burgstall Rechbergle stands on a triangular plateau at 691.3 metres above sea level on the Rechbergle, also called Schwarzhorn, near Tannweiler in the Ostalbkreis of Baden-Württemberg. It is the remains of a medieval hilltop castle whose builders are unknown. The site overlooks the ruins of another castle, Granegg, on the opposite side of the valley. The only traces left are low banks and ditches across the plateau; no masonry survives above ground. Excavations in 1963 uncovered iron tools, roof-tile fragments, animal bones, charcoal and sherds of fired clay. The finds convinced the state conservator Hartwig Zürn that the castle dates from the Middle Ages rather than the Iron Age. Visitors walk across the open summit where the earthworks still mark the former defences. The wide view over the surrounding hills and valleys shows why the site was chosen. A short climb brings one to the quiet spot where the castle once stood, its story now told only by the low earthworks and the scattered stones.