Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg
Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg sits at 757 metres in the Vosges mountains near Orschwiller, Alsace. First documented in 1147 as a Hohenstaufen stronghold, it was besieged for 52 days in 1633 by Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War and reduced to ruins. After Alsace passed to the German Empire, Emperor Wilhelm II received the ruins as a gift from the city of Sélestat in 1899 and commissioned architect Bodo Ebhardt to reconstruct it; work was completed in 1908.
The reconstruction took a significant liberty: the keep is now reckoned to be about 14 metres taller than the original. Transferred to the Bas-Rhin department in 2007 and open to the public, it attracts over 500,000 visitors a year.
Visitor information
- Location
- France
- Country
- France
- Tier
- A (Magnificent, well worth a dedicated trip)
- Coordinates
- 48.2494, 7.3442
- Official site
- https://www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr/
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg?
- Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is in France, France (approximately 48.2494, 7.3442).
- Can you visit Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg?
- Yes — Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is open to visitors; see the official site at https://www.haut-koenigsbourg.fr/ for hours and tickets.
- What tier is Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg on the Castle Atlas?
- Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is rated A tier on the Castle Atlas — Magnificent, well worth a dedicated trip.
- What can you see at Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg?
- Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg sits at 757 metres in the Vosges mountains near Orschwiller, Alsace. First documented in 1147 as a Hohenstaufen stronghold, it was besieged for 52 days in 1633 by Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War and reduced to ruins. After Alsace passed to the German Empire, Emperor Wilhelm II received the ruins as a gift from the city of Sélestat in 1899 and commissioned architect Bodo Ebhardt to reconstruct it; work was completed in 1908.