Engelbourg Castle was built around 1224 by Count Frederick II of Ferette to guard the entrance to Thur Valley. It was severely damaged a few centuries later during the Thirty Years' War and destroyed on the orders of Louis XIV in 1673, when its strategic role was no longer valid.
The main tower broke into several sections.The main part fell on its side looking towards the town of Thann, and this is what we call the Witch's Eye, as it seems to stare at the roofs in the village and off into the horizon.
Today, it can be reached by a steep stairway in about 20 minutes or by a walk through the vineyards in about 40 minutes. It is worth making the effort as you will have a magnificent panorama over the valley, the collegiate church and the town of Thann.
References:The first written record of church in Danmark locality date back to the year 1291. Close to the church are several stones with a Christian text and cross inscribed. The oldest parts of the present red-brick church are from the 1300s. In the late 1400s the church was enlarged to the appearance it has today. The church has been modified both internally and externally several times, among other things after the fires in 1699 and 1889. There are lot of well-preserved mural paintings in the walls.