Burg Amoltern

Burg Amoltern stands on a spur above the village of Amoltern, part of Endingen am Kaiserstuhl in the Emmendingen district. The site is a low hill rising only a few metres above the surrounding vineyards and farmland. A spur castle once crowned this spot in the 13th century before it was levelled by the late 1200s. Archaeologists found its foundations in 1973 while reorganising the fields. The remains measure about four and a half by five metres, showing the size of the tower or keep that once stood there. Historians Alfons Zettler and Thomas Zotz list Burg Amoltern in their survey of medieval castles in the Breisgau region. Their book traces the castle’s brief life from construction to sudden destruction within a few decades. The location on the edge of the Kaiserstuhl’s volcanic ridge gave it a clear view across the Rhine plain. Such small keeps were common along the foothills in the 13th century, guarding routes and estates. Visitors today walk up a gentle slope through vineyards to the flat spur where the castle once rose. The only visible signs are low grass-covered mounds marking the foundation lines. From the site the Kaiserstuhl’s gentle slopes stretch away to the west and the Black Forest rises to the east. The quiet fields and distant villages show why this spot was chosen for defence and observation centuries ago.