Obere Burg Wartenberg

The Obere Burg Wartenberg stands on the western slope of the Wartenberg, 810 metres above sea level, just below the summit. It was built around 1138 by the Lords of Wartenberg and first recorded in 1299. The Lords of Fürstenberg later became owners. In 1459 the castle was enlarged and altered. During the Peasants’ War it was destroyed and finally dismantled in 1780. Fragments of the former residential tower remain today. The great tower measured 13.4 by 21.8 metres at its base. Its thick walls still hint at the fortress’s former strength. The site overlooks the surrounding countryside from its elevated position. Visitors can walk among the low ruins and imagine the castle’s medieval life. The path to the ruins leads through quiet woodland on the Wartenberg’s slopes. From the clearing where the tower once stood, there are wide views across the valley. The air is fresher at this height, and the only sounds are the wind and birdsong. The remains are small but give a clear sense of the castle’s former scale.