Gebrochen Gutenstein

En un regard

Le château en bref

‘Gebrochen Gutenstein’ is a former name for the ruin now called Neugutenstein, or Niedergutenstein. It is one of the most striking castle sites in the upper Danube valley: the castle occupies the summit of an isolated rock needle, at around 660 metres above sea level and more than 80 metres above the river, on the left bank near the confluence with the Schmeie, between Inzigkofen and Gutenstein. A rare example of a castle built on a rock needle, it was practically impregnable to a direct assault. The complex comprised a main castle perched on the rock and a farmyard on the neighbouring plateau, protected by a ditch and a rampart. Its history is read above all through enfeoffments and pledges in favour of the House of Austria. Abandoned early, it has been no more than a ‘Burgstall’ since 1410; the adjective ‘gebrochen’ (‘broken’), which appeared in the 17th century, reflects this condition. The site is freely accessible from a hiking car park, but the summit core is accessible only to climbers.