Burg Hirschau

Burg Hirschau stands on flat farmland south of the church in Hirschau, a district of Tübingen. The site once held a moated castle built for the local noble family of Hirschau. Written records from 1312 and 1371 describe the castle as a fief of the Counts of Hohenberg. The Hirschau family occupied the castle from the 14th century until the mid-15th century. All that remains today are grassy banks and a shallow hollow where the moat once ran. A low mound marks the former keep, now covered with grass and wild flowers. Two parallel earthworks stretch away from the mound, showing where the curtain wall once stood. Visitors can walk the quiet field paths and still sense the outline of the old fortress. The church bell tower rises above the fields, linking the vanished castle to the village it once protected. The surroundings are peaceful farm tracks and open meadows. A small wood lies nearby, adding shade to the open landscape. From the site there are wide views across the Neckar valley towards the Swabian Alb. The only sounds are the wind in the grass and the occasional farm machinery in the distance.