Löwenburg

The Löwenburg stands on a narrow ridge where the Kocher and Bühler rivers meet, 390 metres above sea level. It lies less than a kilometre south-south-east of Geislingen, a village in the municipality of Braunsbach. The site is also known as Löwenberg, and the remains belong to a spur castle probably built in the Staufer period. All that survives today is a low mound of rubble and a shallow rectangular hollow cut into the top. A section of the defensive ditch at the neck of the ridge can still be traced. Historians recognise the Löwenburg as an important example of early medieval fortification in the region. Alois Schneider’s 1995 survey of castles in Schwäbisch Hall lists the site and describes its layout. The castle’s position on the spur gave it control over both river valleys and the routes that followed them. Excavations have shown that only the central keep and its protective ditch were ever completed. Visitors walk up a quiet woodland path to the ridge and find the faint outlines of the former stronghold. The view across the meeting of the Kocher and Bühler is framed by beech and oak trees. On clear days the spires of nearby towns appear in the distance. The site is peaceful, with no modern buildings nearby, and the only sounds are birdsong and the rush of water below.