Photo : Grouvel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Château d'Osthoffen
The Château d'Osthoffen stands about fifteen kilometres west of Strasbourg, in the Alsace countryside. Sources differ on its origins: one tradition mentions a Roman watchtower linked to the Scharrach camp, while the medieval building is dated to the 12th or 13th century. A family of burgraves of Osthoffen is recorded in the mid-13th century, and the first certain mention dates from 1351.
Burned by the Bishop of Strasbourg in 1416 after a siege, the castle lay in ruins for about a century. The Seebach family turned it into a residence in the 16th century, to which most of its present appearance dates. In the 18th century the Zuckmantel family made some alterations, including a fountain.
Bought in 1817 by the Empire baron Grouvel, it still belongs to his descendants. The château has been listed as a historic monument since 1963 and is also used for receptions.
