En un regard
Le château en bref
Grand-Arnsbourg Castle, Burg Groß-Arnsberg in German, stands in ruins on a rocky outcrop at Baerenthal, in the Bitche area of Moselle. Built around the middle of the 12th century to watch over the Zinsel valley and the road from Bitche into Alsace, it is traditionally attributed to Frederick the One-Eyed, Duke of Swabia and of Alsace. In 1229, Louis of Arnsbourg is the first named occupant; the fortress passed in 1332 to the lords of Lichtenberg, who strengthened it in 1352, and then in 1481 to the Counts of Deux-Ponts-Bitche. Partly destroyed by rebellious peasants in 1525, it was left in ruin during the Thirty Years' War. The remains are dominated by an almost intact square keep of dressed stone, together with a well cut into the rock, sections of curtain wall and an arch of the wall walk. The castle is protected as a historic monument. For safety reasons, access to the ruins has been prohibited since 1999, but a footpath allows visitors to approach them.