Alt Eberstein

Alt-Eberstein stands on a hill above Ebersteinburg, a short distance from Baden-Baden. The ruins mark the former seat of the Counts of Eberstein, built around 1100 as a spur castle. By the late 16th century the castle had been abandoned and partly dismantled for building materials. Today only sections of the curtain wall and keep remain. It is protected as a national monument and managed as a State Palace of Baden-Württemberg. The site first appears in records in 1197 as Castrum Eberstein. In the 13th century the family began building Castle Neu-Eberstein and Alt-Eberstein fell into disuse. By 1573 it was uninhabited and used as a quarry. From the 19th century onward efforts have preserved what survives. A restaurant and garden now occupy part of the grounds. Visitors walk among the remaining walls and towers on the hilltop. The views extend over the surrounding countryside and towards Baden-Baden. The garden area offers a place to rest beside the old stonework. The site is quiet, with few other visitors. It provides a clear sense of medieval fortification in a wooded landscape.