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Château de Hohenbourg today

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Château de Hohenbourg

Château du Hohenbourg

The Château de Hohenbourg is a ruined medieval castle on a rocky outcrop in the commune of Wingen, Bas-Rhin, in northeastern France. Originating in the mid-13th century, it was restored in the early 16th century and destroyed in 1680; it has been listed as a monument historique since 1898.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1200

Its prime

1525

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1525

What Château de Hohenbourg looked like in its prime.

Perched on and partly cut into a sandstone crag, the castle presents a squat curtain wall of roughly squared pink-red sandstone blocks and a prominent cylindrical artillery tower that rises directly from the rock. Roofs are absent in the surviving photo but at its prime the silhouette would have combined the straight-lined curtain walls with the round, layered stone tower; masonry shows regular coursing of local red sandstone and entrances set into the rock face, with a terrace looking out over forested hills.

Its story

The story of Château de Hohenbourg.

The Château de Hohenbourg crowns a rocky outcrop in the commune of Wingen, in the Bas-Rhin in northeastern France. The castle originated in the mid-13th century, was restored in the early 16th century, and was destroyed in 1680; it has been listed as a monument historique since 1898.

The ruins preserve real substance from that 16th-century restoration: the artillery tower is a fine example of early 16th-century military architecture, and a beautiful Renaissance doorway survives from the same period. From the terrace, the panorama takes in the Northern Vosges and the Palatinate.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1525.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Château de Hohenbourg, including 1 interior: rock-cut chamber hewn into the crag (interior). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the wooded slope (exterior)South curtain wall at the rock edge (exterior)Artillery tower base and rock integration (exterior)Summit of the artillery tower (exterior/viewpoint)Renaissance doorway in the wall (exterior)Terrace with panoramic outlook (exterior)Rock-cut chamber hewn into the crag (interior)

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Château de Hohenbourg.

Questions about Château de Hohenbourg

What is the history of Château de Hohenbourg?

Château de Hohenbourg originated in the mid-13th century as a semi-troglodytic castle partly built into the rock. Its first known occupants were the Pullers, known as the Hohenbourgs, whose rivalries with the Fleckensteins affected the surrounding seigneuries. It was restored at the beginning of the 16th century and destroyed in 1680 by the armies of Joseph de Montclar on Louis XIV’s orders.

What is inside Château de Hohenbourg?

Inside Château de Hohenbourg, a rock-cut chamber is hewn into the crag. The surviving structure also includes entrances set into the rock face, while the terrace provides an outlook over the Northern Vosges and the Palatinate. The documented interior is limited to the chamber; the artillery tower and Renaissance doorway are exterior features.

Where is Château de Hohenbourg?

Château de Hohenbourg is in the commune of Wingen, in the Bas-Rhin département. It stands on a rocky outcrop in northeastern France, in the Northern Vosges area. The castle is reached from the direction of Lembach, with the route continuing towards Gimbelhof before the marked forest path.

When was Château de Hohenbourg built?

Château de Hohenbourg was built in the 13th century, with its origins described as dating to the mid-13th century. The site record gives 1200 as the first-raised year, while the historical account places its construction in the middle of that century. It was restored at the beginning of the 16th century.

What did Château de Hohenbourg look like in its prime?

In its prime, Château de Hohenbourg had straight-lined curtain walls of roughly squared pink-red sandstone and a prominent cylindrical artillery tower rising directly from the rock. The castle was partly cut into a sandstone crag, with regular coursing of local red sandstone and entrances set into the rock face. Its terrace looked over forested hills.

Is Château de Hohenbourg still standing or is it a ruin?

Château de Hohenbourg is a ruin today. It was destroyed in 1680, but substantial parts of the early 16th-century restoration survive, including the artillery tower and a Renaissance doorway. The castle has been listed as a monument historique since 1898.
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