Burg Rötenberg

Burg Rötenberg stands on the 456-metre Turmberg hill south of the Mittelrot hamlet in Fichtenberg. The hill falls steeply on all sides, leaving only a narrow ridge to the north. The remains include a single tower, the Röterturm, built of large ashlar blocks. A deep ditch cuts the ridge, marking where the outer defences once stood. The tower dates from the early 13th century, though some scholars suggest it could be as old as the 10th or 11th. In 1350 it was burned down by imperial order after serving as a robber-baron’s hideout. Later it passed through the hands of the Limpurg family and the Palatinate before being dismantled, leaving only the 21-metre-high keep. Visitors find the square tower standing on its rocky knoll. The entrance is high above ground, reached by an external staircase. Inside, the lower chamber is filled with rubble and earth, while the upper levels are open to the sky. From the top there are wide views across the Kocher valley. A path leads up the hillside, crossing the old ditch before reaching the tower’s base.