Rötteln Castle

Baden-Württemberg · Germany · Ruin

A noblewoman who drove the castle-building peasants to exhaustion was cursed by them – now she spins on the drawbridge at night as a White Lady.

Burg Rötteln above Lörrach is one of southwestern Germany's largest castle ruins, and its White Lady is among the region's most retold legends. The woman is said to have been a lady at the court of the Lords of Rötteln who mercilessly pressed the peasants building the castle to work ever harder. They cursed her – and the curse held: after death she never found rest. Night-time witnesses claim to have seen her on the drawbridge, sitting and spinning, and heard her sighs echo through the Wiese valley. She is also said to try to lure passing travellers up towards the ruin in the dark.

FAQ

Where is Rötteln Castle located?

Rötteln Castle is in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Taxiarchos228 / CC BY 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons