Chateau du Fleckenstein

Fleckenstein is built on and into a narrow reef of red sandstone rising out of forest in the northern Vosges, right on the German border. Rather than being built on the rock, much of it is cut from it: stairs, cisterns, a well shaft and chambers are hewn directly into the sandstone, and the ruin runs along the crest in a thin line about fifty metres long, shaped like a boat. It was a fief of the Holy Roman Empire from the twelfth century and was destroyed by French troops under General Mélac in 1689. Visits use a puzzle-based route aimed at children, and several other ruined castles stand within walking distance in the same forest.

History

A castle stood on the site by 1165, named after the Fleckenstein family, who held it until 1720; it then passed to the Vitzthum d'Egersberg family, in 1807 to J.-L. Apffel and in 1812 to General Harty, baron of Pierrebourg, and in 1919 to the French state. The Romanesque castle survives in steps cut along the rock, troglodyte rooms and a cistern, the lower part of the well tower dates from the 13th or 14th century, the doors carry the dates 1407 and 1429, and the stair tower bears the arms of Friedrich von Fleckenstein, who died in 1559. Modernised between 1541 and 1570 and shared between two branches of the family, the castle was taken twice by French troops at the end of the 17th century, by Vauban in 1674 without resistance, and was completely destroyed in 1689 by General Mélac; it was restored after 1870, around 1908 and again since 1958 (Wikipedia, Château de Fleckenstein).

Highlights

• The rock-cut rooms - chambers and stairs hewn into the sandstone.
• The reef site - a thin ruin running along a narrow rock crest.
• The forest setting - the northern Vosges woodland and border ridge.
• The neighbouring ruins - other castles on walking routes nearby.

When to go

April to October; the site closes over winter. The forest walks connecting several castles are good in autumn. Weekends bring families for the puzzle route.

Things to know

It is a ruin with steep steps and exposed edges, needing decent footwear. The visit format is heavily child-oriented. Explanation is mostly in French and German.

Nearby

Wissembourg lies northeast; the German border is a few hundred metres away.

Key facts