Burgrest Leupolz

The Burgrest Leupolz stands on a hilltop at 630 metres above sea level near the hamlet of Leupolzbauhof, part of Wangen in the Allgäu. Built before 1229 by the Leupolz family, who served the Abbey of St Gallen, the castle appears in records from 1229. After a fire in 1389 it was rebuilt in 1455, only to burn again on 24 June 1624 after lightning struck. All that remains today are the foundations of a rectangular tower, sections of the curtain wall and two former buildings. Historians recognise the site as an important example of medieval ministerial architecture in the region. The 2013 volume Stätten der Herrschaft und Macht documents how the Leupolz family used the castle to control local trade routes. Earlier, the 1965 Handbuch der historischen Stätten described the site’s strategic position in the Allgäu uplands. Visitors walk among grassy mounds and low stone outlines that mark the tower’s footprint. A short climb from the car park brings a view across the valley towards the Allgäu foothills. The quiet surroundings, with only the sound of wind in the trees, let the visitor imagine the castle’s former life. Information boards explain each surviving feature in simple terms. On clear days the Alps form a distant backdrop to the scene.