Schloßbühl

The Schloßbühl is a low hill rising north of Göggingen, a village in the Krauchenwies municipality of Baden-Württemberg. Flanked by the Ablach valley on one side and a small ridge on the other, it stands only a few metres above the surrounding farmland. Local field names still echo the vanished stronghold: ‘am Schloßbühl’ appears in a 1686 deed, while ‘am Burgstall’ was recorded as early as 1396.

The hill’s past is uncertain, yet the Ritter von Göggingen, a ministerial family mentioned between 1202 and 1473, may have built here. Old roads called the ‘Alte Poststraße’ and ‘Neue Poststraße’ run nearby, possibly Roman or medieval military routes. A 1937 landslide stripped away part of the southwest slope, carrying off young trees and exposing loose soil. A modern water main now crosses the crest, laid between 1968 and 1970.

Visitors walk a quiet farm track that climbs the gentle northern slope. From the summit ridge there is a wide view across the Ablach valley and the surrounding countryside. The ground shows odd hummocks and hollows that could be the last traces of walls or a Roman watch-tower. A short detour north leads to the ‘Fischgrueb’, a marshy hollow once used as a fish-pond, where reeds still grow. The place invites a slow stroll and a little imagination.