No-one travelling the Wine Route can pass by Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle without stopping for a visit. This impressive fortress, dominating the Alsace Plain at over 750 metres in altitude, stands proudly in the municipality of Orschwiller and is a high point of any stay in the Alsace area.
The imposing building, erected in the 12th century, has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Besieged, pillaged and abandoned after 1633, it was restored at the beginning of the 20th century by an architect specialising in medieval fortifications, Bodo Ebhardt. His talent enabled the building to retain its identity as a medieval fortress with its double enclosure, 62-metre-high keep, bastions and main courtyard.
Children and adults alike will marvel at the inn, the fountain, the mill and the forge in the lower courtyard, through which you access the castle grounds. The drawbridge then leads the visitor to the inner courtyard, where the hexagonal staircase leads to the richly furnished apartments, including the empress's antechamber, the Lorraine chamber and the Kaiser's room. The southern living quarters house the trophy room and the armoury, which displays a collection of around 100 bladed weapons from the late Middle Ages.
Two other drawbridges lead to the Grand Bastion, where the cannons are displayed. From the top of the two towers, you can enjoy an exceptional view of the Alsace Plain, the Vosges, the Black Forest, and even the Alps on a clear day!
Visiting the 900-year-old Haut-Koenigsbourg, with its long and tumultuous history, is like taking an epic trip back in time. You will discover a remarkable model of a 15th-century mountain fortress, while being immersed in the turbulent atmosphere of the time.