Kreuzberg was first mentioned as Cruceberg in a document in 893. Around 1100, the settlement came under the ownership of the Counts of Are, who built an initial residential house for one of their administrators on Kreuzberg. It is often stated that the bergfried (keep) of the castle was built during the 15th century. However, it is quite possible that this part of Burg Kreuzberg belongs to the oldest section of the complex and dates back to the 14th century. French troops destroyed the castle in 1686.
Today the main castle rises on an almost triangular ground plan, following the structure of the artificial castle plateau. The area is surrounded by the inner curtain wall. On the north side of the main castle area stands the baroque, two-story residential building made of rubble stones.
Saint-Émilion is a picturesque medieval village renowned for its well-preserved architecture and vineyards. The town and surrounding vineyards was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, owing to its long, living history of wine-making, Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.
An oppidum was built on the hill overlooking the present-day city in Gaulish times, before the regions was annexed by Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. In the 4th century, the Latin poet Ausonius lauded the fruit of the bountiful vine.
Because the region was located on the route of the Camino de Santiago, many monasteries and churches were built during the Middle Ages, and in 1199, while under Plantagenet rule, the town was granted full rights.