Top French Castles - Haut Koenigsbourg Fortress
See a Great German Medieval Chateau in the Vosges in Alsace, France
Nov 19, 2008
Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg is one of the greatest medieval castles to visit in France. The castle is located in the Alsace region, which has long been part of Germany. This partly explains why the castle’s name is derived from the German Hoch Königsburg, meaning High King’s Castle. The present castle is mostly an early twentieth-century German interpretation of what a medieval castle should have looked like – Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg celebrated its centenary in 2008.
- Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg is a great sightseeing destination when traveling with children of most ages as visitors may roam freely without compulsory guided tours.
The Construction of Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg
The history of Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg goes back to the twelfth century. Various castles were constructed on this strategic point where the 700-m (2,300-ft) high Vosges Mountains allow for clear views of the Rhine Valley.
Illustrious medieval families associated with Haut Koenigsbourg include the Hohenstaufen and Habsburg imperial dynasties. At the time of the Thirty Years War (1618-48), Haut Koenigsbourg (or at that time more likely Hohkönigsburg) belonged to the Hapsburg Emperors. As a result, the castle was destroyed in 1633 by Swedish troops after a 52-day siege. The castle would remain in ruins up to the twentieth century.
Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Restoration of Haut Koenigsbourg
During the nineteenth century, the town of Sélestat came into possession of the ruins of Castle Haut Koenigsbourg. The town planned to reconstruct the castle but due to a lack of funds came up with an even better plan. The ruins were donated to the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had both the inclination and the money to rebuild the castle. (Alsace again became part of Germany after the Prussian-French War of 1870-71.)
Bodo Ebhart, Kaiser Wilhelm’s architect, did a splendid job in his attempts to reconstruct the castle as it may have appeared prior to its destruction in the seventeenth century. The new Schloss Hoch Königsburg was completed by 1908. Specialists will be able to pick out numerous architectural and historical errors but for most visitors, Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg comes very close to what a real medieval castle should look like.
Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg as French National Monument
After the First World War (1914-18), Alsace reverted back to France. The Schloss turned into a Chateau as Haut Koenigsbourg came into the possession of the French state. The castle was only designated a French national monument in 1993.
Given its history, Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg is as much a top German as French castle to see when touring this lovely part of Europe. To the east of the Rhine is the German Black Forest while the French Vosges Mountains to the west are equally picturesque. Both Baden and Alsace produce exceptional wines and are known for excellent cuisine, inviting restaurants, and fine hotels.
- Visiting Haut Koenigsbourg is easy when traveling on the Alsace wine route to the south of Strasbourg by car or train.
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