Scharfenberg Castle

Scharfenberg Castle stands on a hilltop above the town of Donzdorf in the Göppingen district of Baden-Württemberg.

First mentioned in 1156, the castle was the residence of the Counts of Rechberg until the 16th century. In the early 14th century, Albrecht von Rechberg was attacked by Ulrich von Helfenstein and Eberhard von Staufeneck. The castle, originally built by the family of Scharfenberg, changed owners several times. In the 15th/16th century, the complex was rebuilt, and during the Thirty Years' War, it was attacked. Since 1826, the castle has been uninhabited and was destroyed by several lightning strikes.

Scharfenberg Castle is now privately owned. The owner has carried out extensive preservation and renovation measures. The castle courtyard and the remains of the two main buildings can be visited, but the inhabited tower is not accessible.

The complex consisted of two main buildings and a residential tower. To the left of the entrance gate is the ruin of a three-story building, behind which is the former moat. Next to this ruin stands a renovated residential tower converted into a holiday apartment. In the northern part of the complex stands the ruin of the stately residence, built of bossed ashlar and with numerous window niches. A wooden staircase construction leads up to the height of the second floor here.

The Scharfenberg is a wooded mesa, making the castle difficult to see from the valley. It can be reached via the connecting road Donzdorf–Kuchalb. A gravel hiking trail leads through an iron gate adorned with the coats of arms of Rechberg and Scharfenberg into the castle courtyard.