Alt-Wildeptingen Castle Ruin

En un regard

Le château en bref

Alt-Wildeptingen, also known as the Schanz or ältere Burg Wild-Eptingen, is a small hilltop castle ruin on the summit of the Eichelbergfluh, north of Eptingen in the canton of Basel-Country. It is never mentioned in the written sources, but its plan and its proximity to the jüngere Burg Wild-Eptingen, only 300 metres away, suggest it was the original seat of the lords of Eptingen, one of whom, Gottfried, is cited in 1189. Pottery found on the site indicates occupation between roughly 1150 and 1250. The castle was abandoned in favour of Witwald, further down the same ridge, by the 13th century at the latest. The core consisted of a massive tower with foundations of about 11 by 14 metres; on the approach side, two semicircular ditches and earthen ramparts protected it, while the western face drops sheer. Only faint traces of masonry remain, including wall corners, and structures cut into the rock, but the earthworks are still clearly legible. The site is freely accessible, via a very steep path.