Ödenburg

The Ödenburg was a medieval spur castle on the Spitzberg ridge, halfway between Tübingen and its suburb Hirschau. It stood on a narrow plateau that drops steeply to the Neckar valley. The site lies within the Spitzberg-Ödenburg nature reserve, a wooded area east of Hirschau.

The castle’s origins go back to the early Middle Ages, built to guard Tübingen against the counts of Hohenberg. In 1291 Albrecht of Hohenberg destroyed it, and Gottfried I of Tübingen rebuilt it the next year, though it was abandoned again by 1310. By the 16th century only ruins remained, and by 1593 nothing was left. Excavations in 1911 uncovered Roman and pre-Roman traces, but these were removed in 1921 when a field shed was built.

Today a grassy mound and a weathered memorial stone mark the spot. A path from the Spitzberg road leads through the woods to the plateau where the main tower once stood. Nearby, an old iron table with a missing marble top offers a place to rest. The view across the Neckar valley rewards the short climb, and the quiet woodland setting still draws walkers from Tübingen and its university.