Yburg Castle

The Yburg is a ruined hilltop castle standing on the Yberg in the western Black Forest near Baden-Baden. The ruins crown a wooded hill that drops steeply on three sides, giving the site a dramatic setting. The castle once guarded the south-western border of the Margraviate of Baden. Its oldest parts date from around 1200, with later additions in the 13th and 14th centuries. A restaurant was built beside the ruins in 1892 and still serves visitors today. The castle’s history reflects the power struggles of the Baden margraves. Built soon after 1190, it was administered by the Röder von Rodeck family until 1369. In the 15th century Margrave Bernhard I added an eastern annexe for his bailiff. The castle was destroyed in 1525 during the Peasants’ War and again in 1689 by French troops. Partial restoration between 1888 and 1913 stabilised the ruins for visitors. Visitors walk along an elliptical curtain wall that encloses the bergfried and the enceinte. The keep and a residential building once stood inside this enclosure. The 20-metre-high bergfried has a doorway nine metres above ground, reached by an external staircase. Below the tower the restaurant offers meals in a rustic building that blends with the forest surroundings. From the hilltop there are wide views over the Black Forest and the Rhine plain beyond.