Pflixbourg Castle

The Plixbourg site, occupied since the Bronze Age, was reinvested in the 13th century and first appears in texts in 1220. Perched at 425 meters altitude, this medieval garrison castle served as a strategic lock between the plain and the Fecht valley. It was the residence of Conrad Werner de Hattstatt, imperial bailiff, at the end of the 13th century, where his wife, Stéphanie, Countess of Ferrette, also died in 1276. After several ownership changes in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was sold in 1434 to Smassmann de Ribeaupierre, then destroyed during a conflict with the Lords of Hattstatt. Subsequently abandoned, it fell into ruin and became uninhabitable. The Plixbourg is distinguished by its polygonal shape and continuous battlement walk. It includes a keep, a cistern, living quarters, and outbuildings, spread over three levels: basement, ground floor, and a floor reserved for noble rooms. Built all at once with granite, it has been listed as a supplementary Historic Monument since 1968. According to legend, the ghost of the White Lady, the spirit of Countess Stéphanie de Ferrette, still haunts the site.