Ortenberg Castle

Schloss Ortenberg stands above the town of Ortenberg at the end of the Kinzig Valley between Offenburg and Gengenbach. Built in the 11th or 12th century by the House of Zähringen, it once protected the valley as an administrative centre for the Landvögte. The castle was the birthplace of Lady Gertrude Rickeldey of Ortenberg and later housed imperial courts and customs offices. After destruction in 1678 and 1697, it was rebuilt between 1838 and 1843 in Gothic style by Baron Gabriel Leonhard von Berckholtz. The castle’s towers tell much of its history. The Malerturm, originally a powder tower, became the studio of painter Alexandra von Berckholtz and now hosts weddings. The Jakobsturm was added during reconstruction to defend the neck ditch, while the Schimmelturm, the highest, once held a dungeon with 4-metre-thick walls. The Kapellenturm, a former battery tower, was turned into the castle chapel after renovation. Today the castle serves as a youth hostel and offers views from the restored Schimmelturm. The Felsenkeller, looted in 1678, remains unexcavated beneath the site. The castle was named Monument of the Month in February 2010 by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation for Monument Protection.