Wildensteiner Burg Hexenturm

Leibertingen, Germany, Germany

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Wildensteiner Burg Hexenturm in Leibertingen, Germany, is a high medieval double castle ruin from the early 13th century, perched on a steep 770-meter rock spur northwest of the village in Baden-Württemberg's Sigmaringen district, associated with the free noble Lords of Wildenstein first mentioned around 1170.

Comprising an upper fortress known as the Hexenturm—built around 1200 replacing an earlier structure—and a lower one at 730 meters, it features a distinctive tower and cave system, predating the nearby Wildenstein Castle that superseded it by the 14th century as the family seat.

Local legend ties its name to witch persecutions, claiming it held accused women who starved after a bridge collapse before a lightning strike destroyed it, though the dramatic ruins now reward hikers with sweeping Danube Valley views amid the Swabian Alb's rugged terrain.