Burg Reichenstein (Württemberg)

The ruins of Burg Reichenstein stand on a wooded slope 585 metres above sea level, overlooking the valley of the Große Lauter near the village of Reichenstein in the Alb-Donau district. Built between 1230 and 1250 during the Staufer era, it was first held by the counts of Wartstein as a ministerial castle for the lords of Stain. After passing to the Benedictine monastery at Zwiefalten in 1499, the fortress was ruined in the Peasants’ War of 1525 and left as an ‘old castle site’ for decades. The 20-metre-high bergfried was restored in 1971 and reopened as a viewing tower. New paths to the site were laid out in 1986 and 1996, giving walkers safe access to the restored stonework. The tower now offers sweeping views across the Swabian Alb’s rolling hills and wooded valleys. Visitors reach the tower along the newly laid paths and climb the restored interior to the top platform. From there the countryside stretches away in every direction, with the valley of the Große Lauter winding below. The quiet woodland around the ruins adds to the sense of stepping back into the medieval landscape.