Burg Ihringen

Burg Ihringen stands on the Burghalde ridge north of Ihringen village, just below 230 metres above sea level. It once commanded views over the Rhine plain towards Achkarren. The site was chosen for its height and the strategic position between the Black Forest and the river. Excavations show the castle was built in the High Middle Ages as a local lord’s stronghold. By the 17th century only earthworks and foundations remained. The last stones were cleared away during the Thirty Years War, leaving no visible remains today. Historians recognise the site as part of the Breisgau’s medieval castle belt. The 2003 study by Alfons Zettler and Thomas Zotz lists Burg Ihringen among the northern group of castles in the region. Archaeologists have found traces of a rectangular tower and a surrounding wall. Finds include pottery, iron nails and pieces of armour from the 12th to 14th centuries. The location is now a quiet meadow where walkers pass without noticing the past beneath their feet. Visitors walk a short path from Ihringen’s centre up to the Burghalde. The ridge offers wide views across vineyards and the Rhine valley. Information boards explain what once stood on the spot. A low bank marks where the outer wall once ran. The peaceful surroundings contrast with the castle’s turbulent history. The place invites a quiet moment to imagine the knights who once rode out from this now vanished stronghold.