Bielriet Castle

The ruined castle of Bielriet stands on a narrow ridge above the Bühler valley, 1.5 kilometres north-west of Wolpertsdorf near Schwäbisch Hall. The spur juts out from the plateau at 404.6 metres above sea level, giving the site a commanding view over the river crossing and the steep paths on both sides of the valley. Archaeologists recognise it as one of the oldest castles in the region, first mentioned in 1057 when Adelbraht de Bilirieth witnessed a gift to Fulda abbey. The castle passed through the hands of the Comburg-Rothenburg counts, the Hohenstaufen emperors’ ministeriales and the Schenk von Limpurg family. In 1287 Heinrich Küchenmeister von Nordenburg bought it, and his descendants took the name Küchenmeister von Bielriet. After a violent episode in 1349 the Hohenlohe family acquired the ruin, which was finally demolished by Schwäbisch Hall in 1390 to settle a debt. Today the earthworks show a broad neck ditch cut into the limestone, its northern edge dropping more than ten metres. A line of low rock outcrops rises behind the ditch, their flanks covered with rubble and soil. Only scattered masonry remains, and later quarrying has altered parts of the slope. The plateau behind the defences is levelled and overlooks the valley, while the northern and south-eastern slopes fall away steeply.