Burg Hohengeroldseck

Seelbach, Germany, Germany

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Burg Hohengeroldseck is a medieval castle ruin perched on the Schönberg hill in Seelbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and serves as the regional landmark of the Ortenau area in the Black Forest.

Built around 1260 as the ancestral seat of the noble House of Geroldseck, it was completed as a multi-family castle in the 13th century and once governed its own small state within the Holy Roman Empire. The castle was destroyed by French soldiers in 1688, leaving behind approximately 10-meter-high outer walls of the lower castle and remnants of the main upper castle building.

Today, the ruins are freely accessible to visitors and offer spectacular panoramic views in all directions from their elevated forested position between the Schutter and Kinzig valleys. The Association for the Preservation of Hohengeroldseck Castle Ruins maintains the site, ensures visitor safety, conducts new excavations, and organizes a large castle festival every September to honor the over 800-year history of the Geroldseck lords.

A short 45-minute walk from the hiking parking area on the pass between Biberach and Seelbach leads to the ruins, which are recognized as the birthplace of the Geroldseck lineage.