A two-day weekend on the trail of Alsace's mighty fortresses: Haut-Koenigsbourg, Kintzheim, Hohlandsbourg and Fleckenstein
Alsace: a weekend on the trail of Alsace's mighty fortresses
Haut-Koenigsbourg, Kintzheim, Hohlandsbourg and Fleckenstein: a two-day weekend exploring Vosges fortresses and a bird of prey display, offering a different way to experience Alsace beyond its renowned cuisine.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Alsace is home to more than fifty ruined or restored fortresses scattered across the foothills of the Vosges. Only two of these draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year: Haut-Koenigsbourg and Fleckenstein. Between them, a handful of lesser-known sites make for a perfect two-day weekend blending restored fortresses, troglodytic ruins and bird of prey displays, all without limiting yourself to the wine route.
BAS-RHIN · Orschwiller
Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle (Hohkönigsburg)
Perched on a rocky outcrop of the Vosges at Orschwiller, Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle is first mentioned in 1147 under the name 'Castrum Estuphin', built by the Hohenstaufen; it took its current name as early as 1157. After passing into the hands of the Habsburgs and then being destroyed by robber knights in 1462, it was rebuilt and modernised from 1479 by the Tierstein family, reaching its heyday at that time. Besieged, plundered and burned during the Thirty Years' War in 1633, it fell into oblivion for nearly two centuries before being listed as a monument historique in 1862. Offered in ruins by the town of Sélestat to Emperor Wilhelm II in 1899, it underwent a complete restoration led by the architect Bodo Ebhardt from 1900 to 1908. Having become the property of the French State in 1919 and then of the European Collectivity of Alsace in 2007, it is today one of the most visited monuments in France.
BAS-RHIN · Lembach
Fleckenstein Castle
Perched on a sandstone spur in the Northern Vosges, at an altitude of 340 metres, Fleckenstein Castle is a semi-troglodytic fortress built in the 12th century by the builders of the Hohenstaufen emperor and first mentioned in 1165. The residence of the powerful Fleckenstein family until the line died out in 1720, it was plundered by French troops in 1674 and then rendered uninhabitable on the orders of Louis XIV in 1689. Restored and showcased since the 1990s, it is today the second most visited site in Alsace after Haut-Kœnigsbourg, with around 70,000 visitors a year.
Two restorations that saved these castles from ruin
The route on the map
The trail of Alsace's mighty fortresses
From the northern Vosges to the Colmar area, four stops for a weekend exploring restored fortresses and Vosges ruins.
Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.
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Day by day
The itinerary
Fleckenstein and Hohenbourg (Northern Vosges)
Alsace's second most visited semi-troglodytic fortress after Haut-Koenigsbourg, featuring an interactive trail for children; possible extension on foot to the nearby ruins of Hohenbourg.
Haut-Koenigsbourg
Alsace's most visited fortress, restored in the early 20th century on the orders of Emperor Wilhelm II.
Kintzheim and Hohlandsbourg
The Volerie des Aigles bird of prey display set within the ruins of Kintzheim Castle, followed by Hohlandsbourg and its panoramic views over the Alsace plain, near Colmar.