Top 18 Castles around Simmersfeld

A sign hangs on the castle wall stating that the Waldschulheim (Forst BW) Burg Hornberg is not a public facility, but comparable to a school building. We therefore ask for your understanding if you are not allowed to enter the grounds.

The Vörbach ruin is a ridge castle near the municipality of Pfalzgrafenweiler in the district of Freudenstadt in Baden-Württemberg, above the Waldach valley. Remains of the keep, the shield wall, and a flanking tower have been preserved. The castle is first mentioned in a document in 1140 as the property of the Counts Palatine of Tübingen. The brothers Albrecht and Diem von Steinhilben were named as the first named owners in 1330. Their father Dietrich von Steinhilben likely received the castle as a fief from the Count Palatine. In 1360, Vörbach was sold by Count Burkhard to Count Palatine Ruprecht I. of the Palatinate. The complex was sold by Count Otto I. in 1440 to Counts Ludwig I. and Ulrich of Württemberg. The fief was granted to the Lords of Emershofen until 1483. They sold Vörbach for 1,800 guilders to the Lords of Ehingen. In 1485, Jörg von Ehingen was enfeoffed with Vörbach by Count Eberhard im Bart. Rudolf von Ehingen sold, among other things, the castle in 1498 to Hans von Neuneck zu Glatt. Wildhans von Neuneck sold the Vörbach castle estate in 1625 for 70,000 guilders to the Duke of Württemberg. After the great village fire of Pfalzgrafenweiler on April 24, 1798, the stones were used to rebuild the town. In 1906, the Schwarzwaldverein built the Nördlinger Hütte on a tower stump of the surrounding wall, named after a founding member, as a resting and shelter hut. It was last renovated in 1990 and is now used as the clubhouse of the Schwarzwaldverein Pfalzgrafenweiler. A curved ditch cuts off the castle site from the corner of the mountain. The foundation walls of the square keep are found on a hill. Rough-hewn ashlar blocks were used to build the tower, suggesting a late Staufen construction. The exact height is not known, but is estimated to be around 30 meters. A large castle complex with numerous outbuildings can be seen on a historical forest map from 1584. A description from 1625 mentions a summer house, a gatekeeper's house, cattle and horse stables, and a well, among other things. Two buildings used as cattle stables and a sheep barn were located outside the castle. No remains of these are visible anymore. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruine_V%C3%B6rbach

Unfortunately very private

The Nördlinger Hütte in Pfalzgrafenweiler was built in 1906 by the Schwarzwaldverein on the remains of Burg Vörbach and named after its chairman Julius Nördlinger. Since 1990 it has been renovated several times, most recently in 2019. Today it serves as a club house and resting place for hikers. Burg Vörbach was already mentioned in 1140, changed owners several times and came to the municipality in 1625. After a fire in 1798, its stones were used for the reconstruction of the town, so that only a few remains are preserved today.

The Fautsburg is a small spur castle that served as a refuge several times. It dates back to the 12th century and originally consisted of a small tower castle on a rock. It is separated from the mountain by a mighty moat, which was hewn out of the rock. The stones obtained during the construction of the moat were used to erect the tower, which is the only building still existing today. The Fautsburg hides today in deep forests and, even as a ruin, does justice to its function as a refuge both in terms of its structure and its atmosphere.

In 1625, the last knight surrendered Vörbach Castle. Until the massive fire on April 24, 1798, a 26-meter-high keep stood here. In 1906, the Nördlingen Ironworks was built on the ruins with considerable craftsmanship.

Unfortunately the castle is not open to the public (forest school)

A little hard to find, and unfortunately a little neglected. Very manageable. But still OK as part of the attraction on the Four Castles Trail.