Hochburg near Emmendingen

The Hochburg, also known as Hachberg Castle, stands on a hill on the edge of the Black Forest near Emmendingen. After Heidelberg Castle and Rötteln Castle, it is the third-largest castle complex in Baden. It was probably founded in the 11th century and is first mentioned in a document in 1127. From 1212 to 1415 it was the centre of the Margraviate of Baden-Hachberg, after which a branch of the House of Baden was named.

From 1553, Margrave Charles II had the medieval castle converted into a Renaissance palace and fortress, and his successor George Frederick added seven bastions. During the Thirty Years’ War the fortress was besieged and slighted after its surrender, but rebuilt from 1660. Its end came in the 1680s: first the defences were destroyed, a fire destroyed further parts in 1684, and in 1689 French troops blew up what was still standing.

The ruin has been secured since the late 19th century, and since 1971 an association has looked after it on a voluntary basis. The site is open to visitors, and a small castle museum has been housed in the cellar of the upper castle since 1991. From the top, the view extends across the Rhine plain to the Vosges. Several legends tell of a treasure hidden in the castle.