Château du Pflixbourg, Haut-Rhin, France

Not far from Hohlandsbourg Castle, at an altitude of 454 m Pflixbourg Tower emerges from the canopy of Wintzenheim Forest like a lighthouse watching over the Fecht valley.

Built around 1219 by Albin Wolflin, imperial bailiff of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, it then served as a residence for the great bailiff, Conrad Werner of Hattstatt. After many changes of ownership in the 14th and 15th centuries, it passed to Gaspard of Schlick, vice chancellor of the Emperor Sigismond. Sold in 1434 to Smassmann of Ribeaupierre, it was destroyed, it seems, during a conflict between the new owner and the nobles of Hattstatt.

Made uninhabitable, the castle was abandoned to nature. Polygonal in form, the Pflixbourg’s curtain wall encloses a circular keep, a cistern and various houses and outbuildings. The castle was built mainly of granite, on three levels: cellars, a ground floor, and the top floor rooms occupied by the owner and his suite. There were no later additions.

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User Reviews

Benz :3 (3 years ago)
Pleasant hike but there's not much to see as it is closed to the public

Niels M (4 years ago)
Nice walk, okay castle but unfortunately totally overgrown by plants. It’s not being maintained and it’s officially off limits.

Marcel Slaman (4 years ago)
Run down, overgrown and officially off-limits to the general public, but still worth it to hike up to when you're in the neighborhood!

Sonja Simmen (6 years ago)
Its a bit hidden and not super spectacular but still a nice castle o

Tal Manasherov (7 years ago)
A nice place.. doesnt have a view and cost 10 min of walking to it. Fun in ordering to visit the whole 5 castles, but i wouldnt go just to visit this castle

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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