This Sunday, May 1, is the unmissable day for fans of fortified castles with the Tous aux Châteaux initiative. Alsace is the one with the most in France. Simply. In the Middle Ages there were around 500 fortified castles between the limits of the Palatinate and the borders of Sundgau, including the Territory of Belfort. Today, 455 are listed, ie 293 in the plains and 152 in the mountains. Not all of them can be visited, some are just a small pile of stones.
If we visited a beautiful one, not a pebble, a castle, between Langensoultzbach and Obersteinbach, in the north of Alsace, almost on the German border, in the town of Windstein? Over there, there are 3 castles, the Old…well, I already did this one yesterday, so the Old, the Mittel and the New Windstein, you can visit all three. Of the Mittel, only a pile of stones remains. I would like to tell you about the Neij-Windstein, the new one, which I find…yes, more interesting. It is not so new, construction began in 1205.
You will see a 13th century residential tower reinforced on the attack side by a shield wall. You will notice on the spot that there is only one possible direction for an attack, which is what makes it a good stronghold. The dwelling was remodeled in the 14th century, and with the advent of firearms and cannons, a gatehouse and a circular artillery bastion were added in the 16th century. Why it matters: We sometimes think that the modern era invented a lot of things, but here, five centuries ago, the layout of the fortifications turns access to the castle into a real mousetrap.
Good luck ! Ambush fire, crossfire, high ground. This made New Windstein impressive and impregnable, until its partial destruction in the late 17th century, as the nobles residing there had fought against France in the Dutch War.
Go and visit it, the enthusiasts of the Veilleurs du Nouveau Windstein association work regularly on the site to restore, maintain and enhance it. They will be happy to tell you about it this May 1st. From 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: guided tours of the site, presentation of completed and future projects, snacks (drinks, cakes). we will put the contact information on the site. Well, if you’re already up there, Old Windstein is also interesting, but that’s another story, and anyway we don’t have time anymore… All the info on the alsaceterredechateaux.com website