Photo : Wikimedia Commons
Château de Kaysersberg
The castle of Kaysersberg, sometimes called the Schlossberg, overlooks the town in the Haut-Rhin from a granite ridge. It is said to have been founded around 1210 by Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, and its curtain wall dates from the first third of the 13th century. It is a garrison fortress designed to watch the valley and protect the town that grew up at its feet.
Its plan is a triangular enclosure whose point, facing the direction of attack, is occupied by a round keep. Linking walls join the castle to the north-west rampart of the town; they were registered in 1995, while the ruins have been listed as a historic monument since 1841. Volunteers of the Chantiers histoire et architecture médiévales association carried out restoration work in 1999.
A short walk up from the centre leads to the ruins, which offer a fine view over the town and the valley.
