Château de Ramstein, Baerenthal, France

The Château de Ramstein is a ruined castle in the commune of Baerenthal. This 13th-century castle was built by the lords of Falkenstein on the instructions of the bishop of Strasbourg to control the Zinselbach valley, probably in 1292. During the course of the 14th century, the lords of Ramstein transformed it into a den of brigands and it was destroyed in 1355 during a punitive expedition by the Strasbourgeois and their allies from Bern.

Below the castle can be seen two underground passages dug in 1936 by French military engineers as part of the Maginot Line. They were used as shelter by the local population during the battles of winter 1944-45. This site is currently closed to protect a colony of bats.

References:

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User Reviews

perez frederic (3 years ago)
Very nice little ruin with a nice view over the valley. Special mention for the very beautiful ramp installed along the stairs.

Liane Hein (3 years ago)
Together with the dogs we hiked to the castle ruins. The small ascent is easy to manage. From the top you have a very nice view. Everything was clean and well maintained. You can also find information above. We thought the visit was worth it.

Victor Popa (4 years ago)
Nice hike through the woods

Sébastien Dorn (4 years ago)
Good hike, friendly place. Access sometimes limited for young children. Otherwise to visit.

Pascal H. (6 years ago)
Parking spaces available below the ruins. About 10 minutes climb. From the top you have a great view over the region. The ruin itself is really fascinating, especially because of its location on and in the sandstone rock.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

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Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Château de Ramstein

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