Haut-Koenigsbourg castle

As early as 1147, the presence of a castle (named Staufenberg) built by the Hohenstaufens and overlooking the Alsace plain by more than 700 metres, is attested to in Alsace. Its ideal location enabled it to cover the main roads in the region, making it a strategic retreat.

In 1192, it took the name of Koenigsbourg (literally "royal castle"). Destroyed in 1462, the Habsburgs entrusted the castle to the Tiersteins. The Tiersteins rebuilt and enlarged it, and set up a defensive system designed to withstand artillery fire. This was the heyday of Hohkoenigsbourg ("hoh" meaning "high").

However, during the Thirty Years' War, despite the fortification work carried out, Swedish artillery managed to breach the castle's defences. The castle was pillaged and burnt down in 1633, before being completely abandoned for two centuries. In 1862, the ruins of the castle were listed as a historic monument and, in 1865, the nearby town of Sélestat decided to acquire it. Restoration work began with the consolidation of the ruins by the town of Sélestat, followed in 1882 by an ambitious reconstruction plan by the architect Winkler.

However, the town of Sélestat was unable to bear the cost of the work, and after the annexation of Alsace by Germany in 1871, it handed over the ruins of the palace to Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1899. Kaiser Wilhelm II undertook a complete restoration of the castle, symbolically marking the western border of his empire and establishing the region's Germanic identity. The work was entrusted to the architect Bodo Ebhardt, and lasted from 1900 to 1908.

Bodo Ebhardt applied a rigorous, scientific method to the restoration. He catalogued the archaeological remains found on the site, used archive documentation, analysed the architecture and used contemporary models to remedy any shortcomings.

In 1918, with the Treaty of Versailles, the château once again changed nationality and became the property of the French state, at the same time gaining the status of a national palace. It was not until 1993 that this fully restored example of a medieval mountain fortified castle was listed as a historic monument.

To visit Haut-Koenigsbourg and avoid the crowds, choose weekdays (excluding school holidays) and arrive preferably early in the morning or after 3.30pm. The free guided tour is highly recommended to discover all the secrets of the building (around 1 hour, 2 to 6 visits per day). Other types of tour are also available, including an audio guide or a guide in medieval costume.

Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg 67600 Orschwiller

www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr - Tel: 03 69 33 25 00

Open all year round except 1 January, 30 January, 1 May and 25 December.

Feeling hungry during your visit? To satisfy visitors' hunger, the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg has a restaurant,Le 757, divided into two areas: the tavern, offering Alsatian cuisine in a warm atmosphere, and the pavilion, in the form of a snack bar with a panoramic view over the Alsace plain. There is also a souvenir shop and a bookshop.