Burg Heggelbach

Burg Heggelbach stands on a rocky spur 660 metres above sea level near the village of Heggelbach, part of Herdwangen-Schönach in southern Baden-Württemberg. The site overlooks the flat plains of the region from its elevated position. The spur once held a small medieval fortress built by local knights. By the 18th century only a single chapel, St Georg’s, remained on the same spot. The chapel’s foundations still mark where the castle chapel once stood. The castle belonged to the Ritter von Heggelbach, first mentioned in 1169 as Haggilinbach. They served as ministeriales to the counts of Heiligenberg. In 1300 the family left their ancestral home and moved to Dauenberg. Today the only visible trace is the 1717 chapel, built where the castle chapel had been. Visitors can walk up the gentle slope to the chapel and look across the surrounding countryside. The chapel itself is a simple whitewashed building with a small bell tower. Inside, a single nave contains a painted wooden ceiling from the early 18th century. A stone altar stands against the east wall beneath a round window. The quiet hilltop offers wide views over fields and distant woods. A narrow path leads from the village up to the chapel in ten minutes. The site is peaceful, with only the sound of wind and occasional church bells breaking the silence.