Hans von Rechberg had Hohenschramberg Castle built starting in 1457, making this ruin one of the last castle buildings in Germany. The remains of the once stately and fortified fortress stand on a steep rocky outcrop. The entire ruin is well worth seeing, because it is one of the largest and still well preserved. If you want to walk in the footsteps of the old knights, you should definitely put on good shoes.
History of the castle:
For almost three centuries, the Hohenschramberg lay dormant, only between 1957 and 1983 excavations and restorations took place. In addition to the city of Schramberg and the State Office for the Protection of Monuments, the castle pioneers did valuable work. This group of Schramberg citizens has rendered outstanding services to the preservation of the castle ruins of Hohenschramberg with great commitment and time.
Thanks in part to this commitment, parts of the once fortified fortress are still well preserved today: The bastion in front to the west with the upper courtyard, the chapel tower, the middle and rear castle, the horse stable as well as foundation walls of the bathhouse, bakehouse and other buildings on the eastern and northern flanks. The walls of the middle castle and the horse stable were rounded towards the north-western sides and were equipped with cannon funnels for defense.
During the Thirty Years' War, more precisely in 1633, soldiers of the Duke of Württemberg besieged the castle. Finally, the fortress had to be handed over to them. In 1648, the Anterior Austrian dominion of Schramberg was pledged to the later Counts of Bissingen and Nippenburg, who first lived at Hohenschramberg Castle, then built a first castle in the valley in 1772/73. Finally, in 1689, soldiers of the French King Louis XIV destroyed Hohenschramberg Castle during the War of the Palatinate Succession (1688 - 1697).
Audioguide Tour
During the Hohenschramberg audio guide tour, the history of the castle is vividly presented at six stations. You can hear market criers and minstrels as well as historians and castle researchers. Simply download to your cell phone and off you go!
