Burgruine Ramschwag

Burg Ramschwag stands as a ruined hilltop fortress near Nenzing in Vorarlberg. Built between 1270 and 1290 from Flysch stone, it once commanded steep slopes on three sides. Two deep ditch-and-bank systems guarded the western approach, their excavated earth forming the defensive lines. A single strong wall, 1.2 metres thick, enclosed a courtyard about forty-two by thirty-eight metres. The main gate lay on the eastern side, where the path still rises today. The Ramschwag family, nobles from St Gallen, gave their name to the site. Their most famous member, Heinrich Walter von Ramschwag, saved Rudolf of Habsburg in the 1278 Battle on the Marchfeld, earning lands and rights for his kin. By 1352 the castle passed to Count Rudolf III of Montfort-Feldkirch, and in 1360 Hartmann von Prasberg became its steward. Habsburg control followed in 1360, and the fortress joined the Vorarlberg alliance in 1391. Yet its life was short: on Michaelmas night 1405, Appenzell rebels burned Ramschwag along with nearby strongholds. Today the ruins show the outline of the ring wall and the gate passage. Walk the eastern slope to reach the main entrance where the old road climbed. From the crest there are wide views over the Walgau valley. The site was partly damaged in 1947 by a ski-jump construction, but between 1997 and 2000 the remaining walls were stabilised. Visitors stand where medieval lords once watched for approaching foes.