Burg Kaltental

Burg Kaltental once stood on the hilltop now occupied by the Catholic St Antonius church in Stuttgart’s Kaltental district. First mentioned in 1125, it belonged to local knights who acted as successors to the lords of nearby Möhringen castle. Around the stronghold three hamlets grew—Unterweiler, Oberweiler and Schlossberg—which later merged to form today’s suburb. The fortress played a key part in regional power struggles. In 1278 Walter von Kaltental received the title of burggraf, a Württemberg fief that covered Stuttgart and the Nesenbach valley. In 1281 Esslingen townsmen besieged the castle but were driven off by Württemberg reinforcements. By 1318 the line had sold the partly ruined site to Count Eberhard the Illustrious and moved to Aldingen. All visible traces vanished when the castle was demolished in 1837. The only remnant is the church built on the former bailey. Visitors walk among modern houses on the old hilltop, unaware that beneath pavements and gardens lie the foundations of a medieval stronghold whose lords once shaped the fate of the Neckar basin.