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Château de Kaysersberg today

France · Ruin

Château de Kaysersberg

Château de Kaysersberg is a medieval hilltop castle overlooking the town of Kaysersberg in Haut-Rhin, France. Originating in the early 13th century, its most recognisable feature is a massive circular keep; the site is today preserved as a ruined monument historique.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1227

Its prime

1480

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1480

What Château de Kaysersberg looked like in its prime.

Triangular hilltop castle of rough grey granite dominated by a thick, cylindrical stone keep rising above the curtain walls; the keep has a restored low crenellated parapet and narrow slit openings. Curtain walls of irregular granite blocks form a high enceinte with merlons and a continuous round-walk; small rectangular window openings and an arched eastern entrance with barbican are visible. The castle sits above the town with a dirt approach track and old vine terraces on the slope below.

Its story

The story of Château de Kaysersberg.

The site was acquired in 1227 by the lords of Horbourg and Ribeaupierre, and in the 14th century the castle served as the residence of the imperial provost or bailiff. Its granite keep, 11 metres across, with walls 4.42 metres thick, crowns the highest point of a triangular plan that dominates the town from 50 metres above.

The keep had a purely military function; the main residential buildings stood against the east curtain wall, with a large lower courtyard towards the town, and the castle's enceinte joined the town walls by curtains with a round walk. The entrance, to the east, was an arched doorway with a barbican, flanked by a cruciform cannon opening and a circular firing hole.

After the French Revolution the castle was declared a national asset and sold to François Joseph Boecklin de Boecklinsau, who planted vines; it later passed to the Bastard family. Listed as a monument historique since 1841, the ruin keeps its original parapet, with the crenels and merlons since restored.

Step inside

10 places to explore in 1480.

The record describes 10 distinct spots at Château de Kaysersberg, including 3 interiors: site of main residential buildings against east curtain, keep spiral staircase, third-floor storeroom and access to platform. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach and vineyardsBase of the circular keepKeep platform and parapetEast entrance and barbicanCruciform cannon opening and circular firing holeRound-walk along the curtain wallSite of main residential buildings against east curtainKeep spiral staircaseThird-floor storeroom and access to platformLower courtyard toward the town

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Whose castle

Clans who held Château de Kaysersberg.

The families that held Château de Kaysersberg for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Horbourg

    With the lords of Ribeaupierre, the lords of Horbourg acquired the site in 1227.

  • Ribeaupierre

    With the lords of Horbourg, the lords of Ribeaupierre acquired the site in 1227.

From the archive

Château de Kaysersberg on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

"Kaysersberg", Château de Kaysersberg

"Kaysersberg"

· Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe (via Europeana)

CC0 (no rights reserved)

Questions about Château de Kaysersberg

What is the history of Château de Kaysersberg?

Château de Kaysersberg began as an early 13th-century fortress controlling a route across the Vosges Mountains towards Lorraine. The site was acquired in 1227 by the lords of Horbourg and Ribeaupierre. In the 14th century it became the residence of the imperial provost or bailiff, and it was besieged during the German Peasants’ War in 1524/5.

What is inside Château de Kaysersberg?

Inside Château de Kaysersberg, the main residential buildings stood against the east curtain wall. The circular keep contains a spiral staircase, an access doorway to the first floor and a spacious third-floor storeroom leading to the platform. The keep had a purely military function, rather than serving as the castle’s main residence.

Why was Château de Kaysersberg built, and what was it used for?

Château de Kaysersberg was built as a strategic fortress controlling one of the routes across the Vosges Mountains towards Lorraine. Its keep had a purely military function, while the main residential buildings stood against the east curtain wall. In the 14th century, the castle served as the residence of the imperial provost or bailiff.

Where is Château de Kaysersberg?

Château de Kaysersberg is in Kaysersberg, in the Haut-Rhin department of France. It stands above the town on a granite ridge and dominates the town from 50 metres above. The castle is located in the administrative territory of Kaysersberg Vignoble.

When was Château de Kaysersberg built?

Château de Kaysersberg was built in the early 13th century. The site’s first raised date is 1227, while the supplied historical accounts also place construction around 1210 or 1220. The enceinte was built in the first third of the 13th century, and the first curtain wall was replaced after 1261.

Was Château de Kaysersberg ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Château de Kaysersberg was besieged during the German Peasants’ War in 1524/5. The supplied material identifies the siege but does not state whether the castle held or fell. Its defences had been modernised in the second half of the 15th century in response to artillery and firearms.

Which family or clan held Château de Kaysersberg?

The lords of Horbourg and Ribeaupierre held Château de Kaysersberg after acquiring the site together in 1227. They are the families specifically associated with its acquisition. The castle later served as the residence of the imperial provost or bailiff in the 14th century.

What did Château de Kaysersberg look like in its prime?

In its prime, Château de Kaysersberg was a triangular hilltop castle of rough grey granite, dominated by a thick circular keep. The keep rose above high curtain walls with merlons and a continuous round-walk, and had narrow slit openings and a restored low crenellated parapet. An arched eastern entrance with a barbican completed the defensive silhouette.

Is Château de Kaysersberg still standing, or is it a ruin?

Château de Kaysersberg is still standing as a ruined monument historique. The castle was abandoned at the end of the 16th century and later became a national asset after the French Revolution. Its original parapet survives, while the crenels and merlons have been restored.

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