Honberg Castle Ruins

En un regard

Le château en bref

The ruins of the Honberg overlook Tuttlingen from a hill rising to about 739 metres, well above the Danube valley. Rather than a castle in the strict sense, it was a territorial fortress commissioned by Count Eberhard im Bart of Württemberg around 1460. It was meant to secure the southern border of the county, serve as a muster point for troops, and house the Obervogt, the officer who administered the bailiwick. According to specialists, it is the only entirely new fortified stronghold built in Württemberg in the 15th century. The site played a genuine military role during the Swabian War of 1499, in the conflicts of 1519 surrounding the outlawing of Duke Ulrich, and then during the Peasants' War. During the Thirty Years' War it changed hands several times before being razed in 1645 on the orders of Konrad Widerholt, commander of the Hohentwiel. Its stones were subsequently reused, notably for the forges of Ludwigstal. Today one can see ditches, enclosure walls and angled bastions, as well as two corner towers rebuilt in the 19th century in a Romantic style. The site is freely accessible and hosts the Honberg-Sommer music festival every summer.