Schwarzenburg (Lockweiler)

The Schwarzenburg was a hilltop fortress above Lockweiler in the Saarland. It stood on the Haan hill south of the village, overlooking the surrounding countryside. The castle belonged to the noble family von Schwarzenberg, first recorded in 1192. For centuries it stood at the centre of disputes between the Duchy of Lorraine and the Electorate of Trier. Originally a fief of the Counts of Zweibrücken, the castle passed in 1261 to Duke Frederick III of Lorraine. Little remains of the medieval walls today. Visitors can still see low stretches of masonry and several defensive ditches cut into the hillside. At the heart of the former stronghold stands the Haankapelle, a small chapel built in 1837 by the Lasalle von Louisenthal family. When the pond below dries up, shaped stones from the old castle reappear in the water. The site offers quiet walks among the ruins and the chapel. The view stretches over the Saarland hills and the valley. A low stone wall marks the outline of the old keep. The chapel’s simple white walls contrast with the dark timber of its roof. In dry weather the exposed stones in the pond recall the fortress that once stood here.