Falkenstein castle was originally built by the Bishop Tuto of Regensburg before 1074. The medieval stone castle was built in the early 13th century. It was expanded and rebuilt several times before the castle was burned down by the Swedes in 1634 (during Thirty Years' War). The decayed Falkenstein castle was restored in the 20th century. Today the castle is a museum, festival venue and restaurant.
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.