Burg Landau, Ertingen

The ruin of Landauhof stands on a long spur above the Danube near Binzwangen in the Ertingen district. The spur rises to 577 metres and overlooks the river valley from its north-eastern edge. The site was once a spur castle built in the 13th century by Hartmann I of Grüningen. After changing hands several times it was finally sold in 1443 to the Heiligkreuztal monastery and later became part of Württemberg’s royal domain. The castle vanished before 1544, its stones taken for other buildings. Only the nearby Landauhof farm remains, its main building constructed in the mid-17th century from the castle’s remains. The inscription MDCCLV on a ceiling beam shows the stable was added in 1755. The farm has belonged to the same family for twelve generations and includes the former castle grounds. The area around the ruin is now a 45.5-hectare landscape protection zone. The protected land covers the steep Danube bank and its varied terrain of hedges, orchards, woods, meadows and pastures. Different habitats range from spring areas to dry grassland, supporting a rich variety of plants and animals. Visitors walk through this protected landscape and can see the farm buildings and the gentle slopes where the castle once stood.