Rödelsburg

The Rödelsburg is a ruined hilltop fortification on a wooded rise near Ehrenkirchen in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. Known also as the Regelsburg or Rottelsburg, it once commanded views over the surrounding countryside. The site sits at 773.2 metres above sea level, its slopes covered in mixed forest. Historians link the Rödelsburg to early medieval timber construction and local iron mining. Only earthworks and dry-stone remnants survive today. A circular rampart with a ditch and a short flight of stone steps mark the former defences. Archaeologists recognise these as traces of a modest wooden stronghold rather than a stone castle. Visitors follow forest paths to the summit where the ringwall and ditch remain clearly visible. The surviving staircase leads up the inner slope to the highest point. From here the view stretches across the Black Forest valleys. Information boards explain the site’s dual history in mining and medieval fortification.