Burg Renfrizhausen

Burg Renfrizhausen stands on a hilltop called the Burgstall above the village of Renfrizhausen, part of Sulz am Neckar in the Rottweil district of Baden-Württemberg. The site sits at 584.5 metres above sea level and once belonged to the local lords who took its name. By 1860 visitors could still see fragments of walls and towers on the hill. Today only grass-covered ditches and low stone ruins remain of the medieval stronghold. The remains belong to a small 12th- or 13th-century hill castle built to guard the Neckar valley. Archaeologists recognise its earthworks as part of a wider system of early fortifications in the region. The Renfrizhausen lords appear in written records until the 14th century, after which the castle fell out of use and was gradually dismantled. A walk up the Burgstall reveals shallow defensive ditches cutting across the hilltop. Sections of mortared stone wall still stand in places, showing the layout of the old keep and courtyard. From the summit there are wide views over the Neckar valley and the Black Forest foothills. The quiet woodland around the site is ideal for a short ramble among wild flowers and butterflies.