Burg Hohenbeilstein

Hohenbeilstein is a ruined hilltop castle standing above the small town of Beilstein in the Heilbronn district of Baden-Württemberg. It rises on a spur of the Stromberg hills, overlooking vineyards and the Bottwar valley. The oldest visible parts date from the 13th century, though its origins go back to the 11th century. The fortress was built by the Counts of Calw, later passing to the Margraves of Baden and then the Counts of Württemberg. It was repeatedly damaged in sieges, most seriously during the Peasants’ War of 1525 and the War of the Palatine Succession. The castle is worth visiting for its well-preserved 28-metre-high bergfried, which visitors can climb for wide views across the Neckar basin. The five-sided tower and its 2.5-metre-thick shield wall are among the few original medieval elements still standing. The rest of the complex was rebuilt in the early 20th century by Robert Vollmöller, who employed the architect Albert Benz and the castle researcher Otto Piper. Their work included the Lower Castle, a small schloss-like building on the site of the old administrative offices. Inside the curtain wall lie several courtyard buildings now used as a falconry centre and a restaurant. Original medieval masonry survives in parts of the two descending curtain walls that once linked the castle to the town below. Reconstructed gateways, round towers and the southern tower at the end of the wall show Benz’s careful restoration. The ruined palas has vanished, but the restored Lower Castle and the bergfried together give a clear picture of a once formidable fortress.