A veritable eagle's nest built in the 14th century as an outpost by the Abbey of Wissembourg, the castle was held as a fief in 1335 by the knight Frédéric de Wasigenstein who became a highway robber and disrupted the region, forcing the guarantors of the public peace (Landfrieden) to intervene militarily to besiege and seize the castle. In 1360, it was occupied by the Lords of Ochsenstein, members of the guarantors of peace. On the extinction of the latter, the castle passed in 1485 to their heirs, the counts of Deux-Ponts-Bitche who undertook its restoration and expansion. It then changed hands several more times before becoming the property of the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg in 1606. It was probably dismantled just after the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). There are still stairs and passages carved into the rock, vestiges of the seigniorial palace and the defense tower.



Access: from the center of the village, take rue du Wachtfels (which begins next to the restaurant of the same name) and follow the path marked with a red diamond. It takes 30 minutes to walk to the ruins.

Visit

Type of clientele

  • Groups
  • Families
  • Couples
  • Adults (individuals)

Type of guided tour

  • Free tour

Services

Services

  • Animals accepted: Allowed
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