Château de Fleckenstein

Lembach

Built in the early 12th century on an impressive peak of pink sandstone, the castle of Fleckenstein owes its name to its first recorded lord, Gottfried of Fleckenstein, mentioned in a treaty of 1174. A residence that was partly troglodytic — several rooms and staircases are cut directly into the rock — it then controlled a strategic stretch of the border between Alsace and the Palatinate. In 1276, the lord Gottfried II made his mark by imprisoning in his keep the Bishop of Speyer, Frederick of Bolanden, which earned him a full-scale siege led by the future emperor Rudolf of Habsburg and a heavy fine. The castle was enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries, notably with the building of the gate tower still visible today, completed in 1441. Its end was brutal: at the close of the 17th century, in the context of Louis XIV's wars against the European powers, the troops of General de Montclar blew it up on royal orders. Bought back in 1812 by a general of Irish origin, it became a historic monument as early as 1898, then state property in 1919. Archaeological excavations carried out between 1992 and 1997 clarified the history of its occupation; the site is now laid out for visitors.

Getting there : Car park and ticket office at the hamlet of Fleckenstein, commune of Lembach; fifteen to twenty minutes' walk through the forest to the ruins; site open from March to November, in the heart of the Northern Vosges regional nature park.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound