Schorren

Sirchingen (Bad Urach), The county of Reutlingen

Sadly, not one written source about the medieval use of the cave castle Schorren has survived. Therefore, it is also not known what its original name was. It is first mentioned in a description of the Oberamt in 1909. Then, excavations were carried out and fragments of crockery and oven ceramics were found, which, however, were only discovered to be medieval years later in the 1990s. Those fragments indicate a permanent use of the cave as a residence, which is likely to have been built during the second half of the 12th century. The reason why one might have built a cave castle in the middle-ages is also unclear. Still, the Schorren’s form and topography are looking very castle-like. In general, such cave castles are quite rare in the area of the Alb and are more common in the Danube valley or the Alps.