The Three Castles of Haut-Eguisheim

At 591 meters above sea level, the three pink sandstone keeps stand out on the Schlossberg hill, majestically overlooking the Alsace plain. These medieval remains, built between the 11th and 12th centuries, once formed a unique fortified complex. At the center stands the Wahlenbourg, the oldest, built around a lordly residence belonging to the Count of Eguisheim, Hugues IV. To the north rises the Dagsbourg, followed by the Weckmund, erected in the 12th century. Gradually abandoned from the 15th century onwards, only three imposing keeps remain today, witnesses to a glorious past and enduring local legends. According to tradition, these castles respectively symbolize a source of fire, a source of water, and a gold mine. Some also mention their role as a natural sundial: at eleven o'clock, the shadow of Wahlenbourg covered Dagsbourg, at noon it covered Wahlenbourg itself, and at one o'clock it covered Weckmund. These ruins, nestled in the heart of a wooded hill, offer an exceptional panorama of the Alsace plain and the charming village of Eguisheim, ranked among the most beautiful in France. The Three Castles are part of the Route of the Five Castles, a 14 km trail that also includes Hohlandsbourg and Pflixbourg. Access to the site is restricted to walking from November 15 to March 15.