Homburg Castle was built in the early 1170s by the Lords of Hohenberg, who were Würzburg ministeriales. Through inheritance it passed to the Bickenbach family in 1381. In 1469, the community along with the Homburg and the surrounding places was sold to the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg.
The current appearance dates from the 13th and 15th centuries. Homburg was badly damaged by fire in 1680 and started to decay. Today ruins are open to the public.
Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.