Burg Sinningen

The ruined spur castle of Sinningen stands on a narrow ridge 578 metres above sea level, five and a half kilometres north of Erolzheim. It was built by the Sinningen family in the 12th century and first mentioned in 1127. Later owners included the lords of Heimertingen and the lords of Freyberg. Today nothing remains of the stone walls.

The site is worth a detour for anyone tracing the early medieval nobility of Oberschwaben. The Sinningens appear in local charters alongside the Welfs and Staufers, linking the castle to wider Swabian power struggles. Its brief written record offers a glimpse of how small lordships organised the land between the Iller and Riss rivers.

Visitors find a quiet meadow where the ridge once held a rectangular courtyard and wooden palisades. The outline of the bailey is still visible in the turf, and the view east across the Iller valley shows why the spur was chosen. A single information board marks the spot, leaving the imagination to rebuild the timber hall and chapel that once stood there.