Wilde Schneeburg, Oberried

The Wilde Schneeburg was a medieval spur castle near Oberried in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district. It stands on a long, three-headed rock spur above the Brugga valley, close to the climbing crags of the Gfällmatte. The site rises about 300 metres above the Schneeberger Hof farm. First mentioned in 1302 as ‘nuwe unde wilde Snevspurg’, it was probably built in the late 13th century by the Schnewlin family. After passing to the Kolman brothers, conflict with the city of Freiburg led to its destruction in autumn 1314. No masonry remains survive, but scattered stones and roof tiles mark the former keep site. Visitors walk the narrow ridge where the keep once stood. A partly filled ditch cuts the spur, and a flattened area may have held further buildings. The view across the valley takes in the Hochfahrn slopes and distant Freiburg spires.