Runstal Castle (Ruin)

The Runstal ruin is a castle ruin in the Wieselsbach valley about three kilometers southwest of the Baden-Württemberg city of Villingen-Schwenningen in the Schwarzwald-Baar district.

The former lowland castle is located on a round, moated mound with a diameter of about 30 meters. A provisional excavation in 1942 uncovered a massive stone building, which possibly replaced a wooden motte in the late Middle Ages and was surrounded by a ring wall. The builders of the castle, which was first mentioned in 1111, were apparently the Lords of Runstal, ministeriales of the Dukes of Zähringen. In 1195, Runstal was sold by the then owner Konrad von Schwarzenberg to Salem Abbey, which converted it into a grange, before it fell to the city of Villingen in 1259. In the 14th century, the adjacent settlement was abandoned, and from the 16th century onwards, the castle was also referred to as a castle site. Today, only the mound with its moat and a few wall remains can be seen.