Château du Grand-Geroldseck, Haegen, France

The Château du Grand-Geroldseck is a ruined medieval castle situated in Haegen, Alsace. The castle is one of the oldest in the northern Vosges, founded at the beginning of the 12th century by the lords of Geroldseck, avoués of the abbey of Marmoutier, to ensure the protection of its territories. It constitutes a fine collection of feudal residence. Built on a platform, it combined the functions of dwelling and defence. It was heavily altered at the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

The square keep has walls three metres thick, faced in embossed stone. The cellars of the lord's residence and the barbican are still visible.

References:

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User Reviews

Sam Walet (5 months ago)
A quite large castle ruin with a tower and some gates and walls. Very cool with a nice view.

Chris Stirewalt (3 years ago)
Great rustic site that needs a restoration , however I think some places a better to be left untouched so people can use their imagination.

Inna Drouz (3 years ago)
Beautiful ruines. Short hike from the parking lot, definitely worth it. Plan enough time to explore the ruins - they are large. The terrain may be slippery and rocky - you need to have good shoes. Areas of the castle has explanation signs, telling about the usage of the rooms in old times. There is also a beautiful view from the top of tge castle to the nearby mountains. The kids liked thus this castle a lot.

Yihua Wu (5 years ago)
Very close to Haut-Barr. Worth going although all ruins.

C. Büker (6 years ago)
Pretty cool place and very open to explore. There are also several tables with explanations, unfortunately FR only.

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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 du Grand-Geroldseck

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