Burg Großstadelhofen

The Burg Großstadelhofen, also called Hildegardisburg, once stood on a ridge above the modern village of Großstadelhofen, part of Pfullendorf in the Sigmaringen district. Built in the high Middle Ages as a spur castle, it commanded wide views over the Linzgau region from its position on the Schlossbühl hill. The site now shows only low earthen ramparts and scattered stones where the walls once rose.

Local legend links the ruin to Hildegard of Linzgau, wife of Charlemagne, who supposedly granted lands here in the late 8th century. Written records do not appear until the 15th century, when the castle was mentioned in documents. By the 17th century scribes recorded the Hildegard story, though historians treat it as folklore rather than fact.

Visitors walk a quiet farm track up to the Schlossbühl, where the faint outlines of the old defences remain. A modest wooden cross marks the spot where the inner ward once stood. The surrounding farmland stretches away to Pfullendorf’s spire, giving a sense of the commanding position the builders chose.