The medieval history of the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle

The origins of the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle go back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, when Frederic of Hohenstaufen had the castle built illegally on land that did not belong to him. The fortress, which was used to watch over the Alsace road from north to south, was later occupied by the Dukes of Lorraine, and then became a den of robber knights before being burned down in 1462. The Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle was then modified according to its successive owners, then besieged by the Swedes and destroyed again by fire during the Thirty Years War. Left abandoned for many years, the ruins of the castle were finally offered by the city of Selestat to the German Kaiser Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern in 1899. The latter undertook the restoration of the fortress as it was originally presented. After the First World War, the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle was handed over to France and is today a priceless testimony to Alsatian history.

Visit the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle

The Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle is located in the Bas-Rhin, not far from the town of Sélestat, on a hill culminating at 757 meters of altitude. It offers a magnificent panorama over the Alsace plain, as far as the Black Forest in Germany. The current name "Haut-Koenigsbourg" is derived from the German name "Hochkönigsburg", which can be translated as "the King's high castle". Now open to the public, the imposing, fully restored castle allows visitors to immerse themselves in medieval Alsace and to put themselves in the shoes of a medieval duke, a servant or a knight. The Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle includes furniture and weapons in keeping with the medieval era, as well as a garden, courtyards, drawbridges, a dungeon and numerous rooms and chambers. The castle can be visited freely or with an interesting guided tour. It is also regularly the scene of original animations and playful workshops for children.