Werenwag

Schloss Werenwag stands on a rocky spur high above the upper Danube valley near Beuron. The castle dates from the High Middle Ages, with its keep built in the 12th century. For centuries it belonged to the lords of Werenwag, who served the counts of Hohenberg and the Habsburgs. The Minnesänger Hugo von Werenwag lived here in the late Middle Ages. After changing hands several times, the Fürstenberg family regained possession in 1830 and still own the property today. The castle was badly damaged by fire in 1891 and again by an earthquake in 1911, which cracked the tower and staircase. The present house is the home of a branch of the Fürstenberg family descended from Maximilian Egon zu Fürstenberg. Historic records mention the nearby hamlet of Ensisheim, sold in 1459, and the family’s earlier seat at First. Werenwag once ruled a small territory of its own. Visitors approach along the ridge to see the tall keep rising above the valley. The stone walls show the scars of the 1911 quake, while the living quarters remain private. From the spur there are sweeping views down the Danube gorge and across to the Swabian Alb. The site is not open to the public, but its dramatic silhouette can be admired from the footpath below.