Rötteln Castle

Drive across the Wiesental viaduct on the A 98 near Lörrach and you spot it at once: two square towers on a wooded spur above the valley. Rötteln Castle, locally called the "Röttler Schloss", was one of the most powerful castles in south-west Germany and is now the third-largest castle ruin in Baden. From its towers you look over the Wiese valley, which bends sharply right here, towards the Basel area.

History: from the Lords of Rötteln to the Margraves

The castle is first mentioned in writing in 1259, though its oldest walls date from around 1100. It was the seat of the Lords of Rötteln, then the Margraves of Hachberg-Sausenberg and finally the Margraves of Baden. It was occupied during the Peasants' War in 1525 and fiercely fought over in the Thirty Years' War. The end came in the Franco-Dutch War: in 1678 French troops took the castle and destroyed it. The administration moved to nearby Lörrach, which received its town charter in 1682, and locals then carted away stones from the ruin.

Civic commitment saved it. In 1926 the Röttelnbund association was founded; from 1931 it ran the keep as a lookout tower, uncovered the Knights' Hall, and it still looks after the ruin today.

What to see

• North tower (keep): The highest point of the castle stands about 5 m above the rest of the site and is turned 45 degrees to the castle's long axis. Its rusticated stonework is unusually fine for a castle. Because it later served as a dungeon, it is also called the "Green Tower", from a Middle High German word for weeping.
• South tower and upper castle: The great hall, kitchen and hall walls survive, and between them lies the so-called Witches' Cellar, a small dark vault from the early 16th century.
• Lower castle: The complex stretches about 300 m from north to south. In the outer bailey, the Rötteln Castle Festival has staged plays on a three-tier open-air stage every summer since 1968.
• Landschreiberei: Rebuilt in 1985, this building houses a small museum and Lörrach's registry-office wedding room.

Legends

The best-known tale is that of the Witch of Binzen: the cast-out wife of a cruel lord is said to have helped a besieger into the castle through a secret passage. Another story tells of a White Lady who lured travellers up to the castle at night.

Opening hours and admission (as of October 2026)

• 16 March to 1 November: daily 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30.
• 2 November to 15 March: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 10:00–17:00. Closed in ice, snow or severe weather.
• Upper castle admission: adults €4, concessions €3, children aged 6 to 14 €2, under 6 free. The lower castle is free to enter.

Allow one to one and a half hours for a walk round with a tower climb, longer if you stop at the castle inn.

Getting there

The castle stands above the Lörrach district of Haagen. A steep road leads up from Röttelnweiler, and there is free parking within walking distance. Without a car, take bus 16 from Lörrach station to Röttelnweiler, or the S-Bahn to Lörrach-Haagen/Messe, and walk uphill from there. The long-distance Westweg trail passes just north of the castle.

Tripto tip

Climb both towers: from the keep you look north into the Black Forest, from the south tower down into the Wiese valley and towards Basel. The light is best in late afternoon, when the sun falls from the west on the red sandstone walls.