The Haut-Koenigsbourg castle: Alsace Emblematic Fortress

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Built in the 12th century, this historical jewel is considered as one of the flagship monuments to visit in Alsace, attracting half a million tourists from all parts of the world every year!

Classified as historic monuments since 1993, this imposing fortified castle has witnessed numerous changes in terms of owners and regarding its architectural aspect. This is mostly due to a series of war-related episodes throughout the centuries and also to a great renovation initiated by Kaiser Wilhelm II and led by the architect Bodo Ebhardt from 1900 to 1908.

Full immersion into a medieval era

L'impressionnante bâtisse quand on arrive au Château
L'entrée du Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg
Beau ciel bleu sur le Haut-Koenigsbourg

As soon as you arrive at the bottom of the castle, you will feel so tiny compared to these gigantic towers and donjon that showcase beautifully this particular sedimentary rock from Alsace: the sandstone « Grès des Vosges », which gives a nice warm pinky and ochre color to this fortress.

Once inside, you get pretty much an idea of how life was back then, while walking across the living areas, the courtyard and the inner parts of the castle. Collection of arm manufacturing and trophies can be found in the south and north areas of living quarters as well as very nice sculptures and furnitures in the 2nd floor.

The access to the grand bastion is definitely one of the highlights of the tour with its cannons, harquebuses and other military weapons.

Vitrail magnifique dans le chateau
Couleurs splendides du vitrail
Une belle tête de sanglier
Le Soldat garde le vitrail

An exceptional panoramic view

Perched atop one of the Vosges peaks at an altitude of 750 meters, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle is one the greatest high spot to admire the sceneries and take beautiful photos of the Vosges mountains, the Black Forest and even the Alps depending on the weather.

Le Château du Haut Koenigsbourg et les Alpes en arrière plan

Picture credit: Tristan Vuano from “A Vue de Coucou” (click on the picture to visit his website)

Localisation

Between Kintzheim and Orschwiller, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle is ideally located, very close to the Wine Route and can be easily integrated as one of the stop-overs in your touristic trip from Colmar to Strasbourg.

Le Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg qui trône sur les Vosges
Une belle bâtisse
Entrevoir la cours intérieur depuis les petites fenêtres du Château

Useful information

Tickets

Full rate of 9EUR for adults, reduced rate of 5EUR for children between 6 and 17 years old and free entrance for children below 6 years old.

Free entrance on the first Sunday of the month from November to March, also during the European Heritage Days (3rd week-end of September) and the Museum Night.

How to get there
  • By car: The castle is accessible by the motorway A35, exit 17 via Kintzheim or 18 via Saint-Hippolyte. N59 via Lièpvre. Free parking along the road leading to the castle.
  • Public transportation: You have the possibility to take the Haut-Koenigsbourg shuttle bus from the train station of Selestat. Don’t forget to check in advance the dates and hours to get there.

Opening hours

You can buy the tickets on site and also directly at the Office of Tourism of Obernai, which can be helpful in case of long waits during the peak season.

  • January, February, November, December: from 9h30 to12h00 and from 13h00 to 16h30 (10h30 on Monday morning)
  • March, October: from 9h30 to 17h00 (10h30 on Monday morning)
  • April, May, September: from 9h15 to 17h15 (10h30 on Monday morning)
  • June, July, August: from 9h15 to 18h00 (10h30 on Monday morning)

The castle is opened during the whole year except on 1st January, 1st May, 10th of July and 25th December.

Vue magnifique depuis le Haut-Koenigsbourg

La Villa du Coteau – What We Have Particularly Liked

An imposing fortress

We have been simply amazed by the raw beauty of this castle! This building is massive, intimidating by its height and aesthetically beautiful thanks to the color of natural stones, especially on sunny days at sunset, which create some warm rosy ochre reflections on the facades.

Une forteresse imposante
Le château avec une belle vue
A daunting effort into construction and renovation

An incredible work has been done since the creation of the castle, on a field of 270 meters long and about 40 meters wide. While walking in the courtyard and in the upper parts of the castle, we can deeply imagine the complexity of the work that has been achieved.

Le Corbeau surveille
Le château avec une belle vue
An unforgettable panoramic view

The view on the plains and the mountains from the grand bastion is simply fabulous!

Tour du Ht-Koenigsbourg !