Two ruins of castles stand on two rocky outcrops separated by a natural fault reworked by man. To the east rises the Grand-Wasigenstein, built around the middle of the 13th century as an imperial castle, with its pentagonal keep; to the west, Petit-Wasigenstein built around 1299 by a branch of the Wasigenstein family, hence its proximity. The latter turns his dungeon and his shield wall towards his neighbor whom he had no right to dominate. When the Wasigenstein lines died out, around the middle of the 14th century, the castles passed into the hands of many owners for several centuries, including the Fleckensteins, the Hohenbourgs, the Ochsensteins, the Rambergs, the Hanau-Lichtenbergs... They were destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. In particular, the stairs and rooms dug into the rock, windows with resting benches, the cistern, etc. have been preserved.
Access: in Niedersteinbach, follow the D 3 towards Obersteinbach, then the D 190 towards the hamlet of Wengelsbach to the Klingelfels car park (remarkable rock). From there, take the path marked with a red rectangle (GR 53). It takes 15 minutes to walk to the castle.
Visit
Type of clientele
- Groups
- Families
- Couples
- Adults (individuals)
Type of guided tour
- Free tour