Heidenburg (Ippingen)

The Heidenburg is a hilltop earthwork fortress standing on a narrow ridge 892 metres above sea level, about two kilometres east-south-east of Ippingen in the municipality of Immendingen. It occupies the tip of a spur that drops steeply on three sides, giving the site a natural defence. The remains belong to a spur castle built during the early medieval period. A single rampart once enclosed roughly 1.55 hectares of the ridge top. Today only the southern section survives, running for about 170 metres, twelve metres wide and up to six metres high. The defences were strengthened by a double ditch dug in front of the rampart, part of which can still be traced. Archaeologists have dated pottery and charcoal found here to the seventh and eighth centuries. The Morrissey and Müller atlas of prehistoric and early medieval earthworks lists the Heidenburg among the best-preserved examples in the region. Earlier studies by Hans-Wilhelm Heine also recognise its importance for understanding early medieval fortification techniques in south-west Germany. Visitors walk along the grassy rampart, following its line where the wooden palisade once stood. The ridge offers wide views over the surrounding Baar plateau and towards the Black Forest. On clear days the Alps are visible to the south. The double ditch is faintly visible as two shallow depressions in front of the bank. The site is quiet, with only the wind and birdsong breaking the silence.