Schneeburg

Schneeburg is a castle ruin standing on the western summit of Schönberg at 516 metres above sea level, between the villages of Ebringen and Freiburg. Built by the Lords of Hornberg, it first appears in records from 1312. Werner von Hornberg gave the castle to the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1349. By the end of the 15th century the site had been abandoned. Some believe it was destroyed in 1525 during the German Peasants’ War, though no proof remains. The surviving remains include part of a four-storey tower with two windows on the north side. The living quarters and a courtyard are also visible. A well in the centre of the courtyard still stands in good condition. The ruin measures about 37 metres long and 17 metres wide. Its position on the hilltop offers views across the surrounding countryside. Visitors walk among the stone walls and foundations of the old living quarters. The tower’s remaining storeys frame distant hills and the city of Freiburg. The quiet summit is reached by a short path from Ebringen or the slopes of Schönberg. Wild flowers grow among the ruins in summer. The site is small but gives a clear sense of a once important medieval castle.