Burg Steinhilben

Burg Steinhilben stands on the edge of Steinhilben, a district of Trochtelfingen in the Reutlingen district. The village lies in the hilly countryside of the Swabian Alb, where gentle slopes meet wooded ridges. The former stronghold once belonged to a local noble family whose name it carries. The Steinhilben lords first appear in records in 1247 as a branch of the Märheld von Wurmlingen. Their castle, called the Steinhaus, was probably built in the 12th century. The Steinhaus passed from the Steinhilben family to the counts of Hohenberg in the early 14th century. In 1310 the Hohenbergs sold the estate to Württemberg. By the late 14th century the Steinhilben lords had granted large parts of their land to the Güterstein provostry, partly as a Württemberg fief. After the Reformation closed Güterstein in 1555, the Steinhaus became Württemberg’s own property. Only fragments remain of the once substantial ring wall. Visitors today walk along quiet village lanes to find the remnants of the old defences. A low stretch of the ring wall still marks the former perimeter. The site overlooks fields and distant tree lines typical of the Alb foothills. Nearby farmhouses and the parish church blend with the gentle landscape. The place offers a quiet reminder of medieval power in a still rural setting.