Ramstein Castle was built in 1293 in the commune of Scherwiller, in the Lower Rhine, 5 km north-west of Selestat. Be careful not to confuse it with the eponymous castle erected at the same time on the locality of Baerenthal in Moselle.
Ramstein Castle was erected by the great bailiff of Alsace Otto von Ochsenstein at an altitude of almost 400 m, on the same ridge as Ortenbourg Castle, but slightly below, to support his seat.
Initially consisting of a single tower, it was enlarged over the decades by the addition of a barnyard, walls and turrets.
Plundered by the Strasburgers at the beginning of the 15th century, the castle was destroyed by the Swedish troops in 1633 during the Thirty Years War. Two turrets were nevertheless built in 1793 to defend the access to the Vosges massif.
As ruins, its remains (wall elements and turrets) were classified in 1923, at the same time as the nearby castle Ortenbourg.
The site is the subject of a restoration campaign initiated by an association of volunteers. For security, access is only allowed during guided tours during Heritage Days. However, the remains can be observed from a distance during a hike.
Information on +33 3 88 58 87 20.
