The castle may have been built around 1200[1] on a steep eminence at the lower entrance to the Höllental, also known as the Falkensteige, by a Zähringen ministerialis family.

The castle was supposed to guard the important communication route through the valley which linked the Breisgau to the Baar region and Lake Constance.

After the toll road, which had brought the Falkensteins substantial revenue, met with competition from the route through the Wagensteig valley built in 1310–1379, according to legend, the knights are said to have operated more and more as robber barons.

Affected by the economic decline of the low nobility in the late 14th century, it was probably financial pressure that drove the Falkensteins to extend this approach to innocent travellers.

Third, is a small middle ward (Mittelburg, B) on a roughly six-metre-high rock step rising above the lower ward – which lies to its west and north – on the upper part of the castle rock, and extending northeast to a point above the neck ditch.