The Kastel castle was built between 1260 and 1270 by the Lords of Schwarzenberg. Like the
Schwarzenburg on the opposite side of the valley its purpose was to defend the town Waldkirch and to control the trade route through the
Elz valley. The first inhabitant of the castle was Johann I of Schwarzenberg. The Schwarzenbergs died out already in 1345 and the castle was sold to Martin Malterer from Freiburg who fell in 1386 in the
Battle of Sempach. In 1429 the castle was passed on to Berthold of Staufen. In the
Thirty Years' War the castle was destroyed by troops of the
Kaiser on 14 March 1634 so that it did not fall into the hands of the advancing
Swedish troops. In recent years attempts have been made to conserve the edificial structure of the ruin that is standing romantically above the historic center of
Waldkirch (Action Kastelburg). ==References==