Hegau (German pronunciation: [ˈheːɡaʊ]) either refers to a region of the Duchy of Swabia or to only that part of said region which is presently located in the country of Germany. It is known for its extinct, partly eroded volcanoes, most of which are crowned with ruins of medieval fortresses.
Historically, Hegau was a Gau of the Duchy of Swabia, first mentioned in 787 A.D. in the Latinised form in pago Egauinsse. Its area reached from the Überlinger See of Lake Constance and the city of Konstanz in the east to the Randen and Schaffhausen in the present-day Swiss canton of Schaffhausen in the west. Towards south, it extended to the High Rhine and to the north until the Danube.