Château du Haut-Koenigsburg

Built in the 12th century, the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle is a true witness to the great historical upheavals that have marked Alsace and Europe. Located at nearly 800 meters altitude, it majestically overlooks the Alsatian plain and offers an exceptional panorama of the Vosges and, on clear days, as far as the Swiss Alps.

Constructed around 1147 by the Hohenstaufen, the castle was intended to control the trade routes connecting the Rhine plain to the Vosges passes. It was quickly coveted and became a major strategic issue between local and imperial powers. Destroyed in 1462 by the troops of the city of Colmar, the castle was rebuilt by the Tierstein family, who reinforced it to withstand new siege weapons.

Abandoned after the siege of 1633 during the Thirty Years’ War, the castle fell into “oblivion for more than two centuries, before being” restored at the beginning of the 20th century by “German Emperor Wilhelm II. Eager to assert the Germanic presence in annexed Alsace, he entrusted the work to” architect Bodo Ebhardt, a specialist in medieval fortifications. Thanks to meticulous restoration, the castle regained its 15th-century appearance, with an imposing keep, crenellated ramparts, and a sumptuously refurnished interior.