Château de Hohbarr, Saverne, France

The Château de Hohbarr (Haut-Barr) is a medieval castle, first built in 1100, above the city of Saverne in what is now the French département of Bas-Rhin. It was built on sandstone rock 460m above the valley of Zorn and the plain of Alsace. Because of this, it has been called the eye of Alsace.

The current castle was built in 1583 by Jean de Manderscheid. The Peace of Westphalia mandated the destruction of several castles, including Hohbarr, but after the beginning of the War of the Spanish Succession, in 1701, the fortress was back in use. It was abandoned around 1770, but the vault continued to be occupied until the French Revolution.

User Reviews

Colin McGibbon (9 months ago)
Excellent viewing point with forrest walks, restaurant, small church. Good stop over . Parking free

Hilah Zia (10 months ago)
Beautiful location. Highly recommend visiting.

Verena Streng (10 months ago)
Very interesting castle, different from other ones. The visit of the top Level can be a bit of a challenge if you are afraid of hights, as you access it by an iron stair case which is built onto the rock surface. Have also a closer look at the Rock surface inside the castle, it is full of traces of processing: to shape it or build beam Supports. Worth a visit and the Restaurant which is located inside the castle area has really good food.

Jean-Marc BOUZARD (11 months ago)
If you drive close to this area, just stop by for one hour, the view from the hill top is incredible.

Frank Gifford (14 months ago)
This area is a HIDDEN GEM for those that like to travel back in time. A peaceful walk through the French historic countryside. Very relaxing and a nice change of pace from the high profile tourist sites. Be sure to stop by the local tourist information a local map of sites to see.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Ninara

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The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).

The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.

The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.

The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.

Château de Hohbarr

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