Schloss Rechenberg

Schloss Rechenberg stands on a spur above the Rechenberger Rot, a tributary of the Jagst. Built in the Staufer period, it began as a castle finished around 1227. The medieval core is surrounded by a moat and ring wall with two towers, one round and one smaller. A stone bridge now leads to the site, where the Palas and a 1571 south wing still rise. The castle’s outline shows the classic water-burg plan, with walls and towers arranged to defend the approach. The castle’s story is written in the names of its owners. In 1538 Heinrich Steinhäuser enlarged the fortress and added the south building, turning it into a Renaissance schloss. The Steinhäusers placed their alliance coat of arms on the wall, while later the von Berlichingen family used the nearby church as their burial place. After changing hands through the 17th and 18th centuries, the site became a youth hostel in 1953 before passing to private hands in 2018. Visitors walk across the moat bridge and enter the courtyard framed by the Palas and the south wing. The ring wall and towers give views over the valley below. A few metres away, the small Schlosskirche holds the Berlichingen tombs and their heraldic stones. The church still serves the village as its Protestant place of worship. The whole ensemble remains in good repair, showing how medieval defences were adapted over the centuries.