Burg Degenfeld

The ruins of Burg Degenfeld stand on a narrow triangular plateau high above the Lauter valley. The site sits half a kilometre west of Schwäbisch Gmünd’s Degenfeld district, perched 100 metres above the river on the Ochsenberg ridge at 643 metres. Two small streams have carved valleys on either side, leaving the spur almost an island. The plateau covers about three hectares, giving the former castle plenty of room to spread. The castle was built around 1250 by the lords of Degenfeld, who took their name from the place. Hermann von Degenfeld appears in records from 1281 and is thought to be the ancestor of the later counts. In the 15th century the family moved their main seat to nearby Hoheneybach castle. Christoph von Degenfeld bought Schloss Neuhaus and Ehrstädt in the late 16th century before selling Burg Degenfeld to the dukes of Württemberg in 1597. By 1811 the structure had been pulled down. Today the site is a quiet grassy mound with low stone foundations marking walls and towers. Visitors walk along the edge of the plateau, where the Lauter valley unfolds far below. The surrounding Ochsenberg woods offer short paths through beech and spruce, and the distant outline of Schwäbisch Gmünd can be seen on clear days.