Château du Hohlandsbourg

Wintzenheim

Built in 1279 on the orders of the provost of Colmar, Siegfried von Gundolsheim, to keep watch over the town, the Hohlandsbourg came under attack as early as 1281 from the burghers of Colmar, aided by the bailiff Otto von Ochsenstein, who set fire to the fortress as an act of resistance. Passing in 1410 to the Ribeaupierre family, later counts of Lupfen, the castle was considerably enlarged and strengthened in the 16th century by the imperial general Lazarus von Schwendi, to whom Alsatian tradition attributes the introduction of Tokay grape varieties from Hungary, the origin of Alsace's Tokay Pinot Gris. In 1637, at the height of the Thirty Years' War, French troops deliberately destroyed the stronghold to prevent it falling into Austrian hands. The ruins were listed as a historic monument in 1840, then underwent a vast restoration in the 1990s that restored towers, curtain walls and residential buildings and turned the site into a cultural and historical centre open to the public, offering a panorama over the whole plain of Alsace.

Getting there : Commune of Wintzenheim, on the Route des Cinq Châteaux about 7 km from Colmar; open to the public from Easter to 11 November, hiking trails and car park at the foot of the site

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

Ambient sound