Who built Burg Hohenwittlingen?

It is attributed to the knight Burkhard von Wittlingen at the start of the 11th century, with a Burkhard de Witlingin recorded in a document from 1089/90.

Can you go inside Burg Hohenwittlingen?

No, only open-air ruins remain: enclosing walls, remnants of the palas and part of the shield wall.

Why is Burg Hohenwittlingen historically significant?

In 1548 it sheltered the reformer Johannes Brenz, and between 1560 and 1617 it was used as a prison for Anabaptist Hutterites.

Where exactly is Burg Hohenwittlingen located?

It stands above Wittlingen, part of Bad Urach, in the Reutlingen district of Baden-Württemberg, on a rocky spur 667 metres high.

What remains of Burg Hohenwittlingen today?

Mainly the enclosing walls, part of the several-metre-thick shield wall, remnants of the palas and steps cut into the rock.

Burg Hohenwittlingen

Hohenwittlingen Castle

Wittlingen (Bad Urach)

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Where: Wittlingen (Bad Urach)

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

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Burg Hohenwittlingen stands in Wittlingen (Bad Urach) (Landkreis Reutlingen), in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Recorded dating: 10th century. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Burg Hohenwittlingen is a ruined castle set on a rocky spur above the Erms valley, at an elevation of 667 metres, near the village of Wittlingen in Bad Urach. Its origins go back to the 10th century, with the castle itself attributed to the knight Burkhard von Wittlingen at the very start of the 11th century. Visitors today can see the remains of a massive shield wall, the ruins of the palas, and traces of several medieval building phases, from early small-block masonry to bossed stones from around 1200. In the 16th and 17th centuries the castle also served as a hiding place for a reformer and as a prison for Anabaptists.

What to know

The site is an open-air ruin with no roofed interior spaces to visit.
The access path follows the eastern flank of the rock and then climbs as a ramp between the outer and main castle areas.
Steps cut into the rock lead up to the higher courtyard, so the ground is uneven and sturdy footwear is advisable.
The castle sits above the Erms valley, offering a view from the rocky spur.
The shield wall and the surrounding walls, some over five metres thick near the moat, remain the best-preserved parts of the structure.

Where this château is

Wittlingen (Bad Urach) · Landkreis Reutlingen · Baden-Württemberg

Map of the area around Burg Hohenwittlingen

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Hohen-Wittlinger-Straße, 72574 Bad Urach

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Protection status unknown
Period of construction: 10th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Who built Burg Hohenwittlingen?: It is attributed to the knight Burkhard von Wittlingen at the start of the 11th century, with a Burkhard de Witlingin recorded in a document from 1089/90.
Can you go inside Burg Hohenwittlingen?: No, only open-air ruins remain: enclosing walls, remnants of the palas and part of the shield wall.
Why is Burg Hohenwittlingen historically significant?: In 1548 it sheltered the reformer Johannes Brenz, and between 1560 and 1617 it was used as a prison for Anabaptist Hutterites.
Where exactly is Burg Hohenwittlingen located?: It stands above Wittlingen, part of Bad Urach, in the Reutlingen district of Baden-Württemberg, on a rocky spur 667 metres high.
What remains of Burg Hohenwittlingen today?: Mainly the enclosing walls, part of the several-metre-thick shield wall, remnants of the palas and steps cut into the rock.