Petit-Arnsbourg Castle

Perched on a rocky spur, this medieval castle was built in the 14th century as an outpost by the Abbey of Wissembourg. In 1335, it became the fief of the knight Frédéric de Wasigenstein, who turned it into a bandit hideout, causing unrest in the region. The peacekeepers, known as the Landfrieden, had to organize a siege to retake it. In 1360, it passed into the hands of the lords of Ochsenstein, members of these peacekeepers. Upon their extinction in 1485, it passed to their heirs, the Counts of Deux-Ponts-Bitche, who restored and expanded it. The castle changed owners several times before being acquired in 1606 by the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Probably dismantled shortly after the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), only ruins remain today: stairs and passages carved into the rock, as well as the remains of the lordly palace and the defensive tower. To reach it, start from the village center, take Wachtfels Street (near the restaurant of the same name), and follow the marked path with a red diamond, about a 30-minute walk to the ruins.