The Château de Ramstein is built on the same crest as the Château de l'Ortenbourg. Standing at an altitude of 384 m, it is dominated by the Château de l'Ortenbourg from which it is separated by a few hundred metres.
It was built around 1293 as a rear base during the siege of Château de l'Ortenbourg by Otto von Ochenstein, during the conflict between Adolf of Nassau and Albert of Habsburg. Originally built as a simple tower to support a siege engine, it grew at the start of the 14th century into a true castle with the strengthening of the tower and an extra wall. In 1421, it was attacked and pillaged by Strasbourg. It was destroyed in 1633 by the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War. At the start of the 19th century it became the property of baron Mathieu de Fabvier, who also owned Ortenbourg. Today, all that remains are the exterior wall and two turrets, built of granite.
Because of the risk of landslides, the castle has been closed to visitors since 1983. The castle has been listed as monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1924. It is the property of the commune.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.