On the borders of Alsace, Moselle and Palatinate, 7 km north of the village of Lembach, the legendary Château de Fleckenstein dominates the vast forests of the Northern Vosges Massif!
Built in the 12th century on an impressive rocky outcrop, it was destroyed without giving battle by the armies of Attesté from 1165, the castle is installed at the top of an impressive rocky bar in pink sandstone from the Vosges, whose dimensions are spectacular and which allowed a semi-troglodyte construction of the castle. Build by the barons of Fleckenstein at the time of the Holy Roman Empire, the family kept the fief until 1720, when the lineage ended.
The network of the Route des Châteaux and Fortified Cities of Alsace
The Fleckenstein Castle was part of a vast defense network comprising a large number of fortified castles installed on the ridges of the Northern Vosges, whose mission was to monitor the connecting road between Bitche and Wissembourg. All that remains today of these medieval fortresses are ruins which are for the most part accessible only by the perfectly deployed hiking trails on the territory of Alsace Verte. Today it's the network of The Route of the Castles and Fortified Cities of Alsace which le Fleckenstein Castle joined: second most visited castle in Alsace after Haut-Koenigsbourg, it is an emblematic witness to the torments of medieval times in this coveted region.
The Circuit of the 4 castles
At the foot of the Château de Fleckenstein, the start of the Circuit of the 4 castles» leads to the ruins of the castles of Hohenburg, Wegelnburget Loewenstein, each offering a unique experience. But the discovery of Fleckenstein Castle will undoubtedly remain the most impressive and striking of all. Indeed, whatever the means chosen to get there, it is at the exit of the forest that this large rock, ninety meters long, thirty meters high and ten meters wide surprises the visitor. The view will take your breath away, and all you'll want to do is set off and conquer the summit as quickly as possible! To do this, you will have to go through the very heart of the rock dating back 240 million years, walk through the rooms and the troglodyte staircase, walk to the top to discover the well, the room of the knights or the tower... and finally reach the platform of the castle where the view is breathtaking! Like an impressive ship, the castle of Fleckenstein sails on the waves formed by the wooded hills. The atmosphere that emerges is magical…
“Like an impressive ship, the Château de Fleckenstein sails on the waves formed by the wooded hills. The atmosphere that emerges is magical…”
The Castle of Challenges®
To complete the experience, the site offers the Castle of Challenges®, a course that allows the whole family to experience a unique medieval adventure. Combining reality and imagination in life-size game scenes, the adventure leads actors of all ages on the same quest: to find Fleckenstein's treasure and rebuild the castle. In the heart of the surrounding forest and in the castle, riddles and clues are scattered which will allow the most skilled to quickly come to the end of this adventure, in an always fun and friendly atmosphere.
Le P'tit Fleck
And for the little ones, nothing will beat an immersion in the rooms of the Little Fleck to become familiar with the natural elements of our beautiful region: the sandstone of the Vosges, the forest and its inhabitants... everything is explained there by means of games within everyone's reach.
