Burgreste Schwandorf

A ruined hilltop fortress stands on a steep limestone crag above the village of Oberschwandorf. The site, known locally as Burgreste Schwandorf or Altes Schloss Madach, rises to 675 metres above sea level on the southern edge of Neuhausen ob Eck. Archaeologists date the original stone keep to the 13th century, when it occupied a small plateau of 280 square metres. By the late 16th century the stronghold had already fallen into ruin and by 1791 written records describe it as completely destroyed. The castle passed through several noble families during its working life. Between 1260 and the early 1400s the Truchsessen of Schwandorf held the title, followed in 1460 by Sygmund of Stein. Historical maps from 1588 still label the crumbling walls Altes Schloss Madach. Today only the rock shelf remains, its edges softened by centuries of weathering. Visitors climb a narrow path up the rock face to the summit, where a low stone plinth marks the former keep’s footprint. The outlook stretches across the Tuttlingen plain to the Danube valley on clear days. A simple wooden fence surrounds the site to protect the fragile limestone. Wild thyme and juniper grow among the cracks, adding scent to the breeze that rises from the valley below.