Château du Birkenfels, Ottrott, France

The Château du Birkenfels is a ruined castle in the commune of Ottrott. Originally it was built by Burkhard Berger, a vassal of the bishop of Strasbourg, in the 13th century. The castle's position allowed surveillance of the old Roman road running from Mont Sainte-Odile to Champ du Feu and the valley of the Bruche.

The construction is dated to around 1260. The earliest recorded mention is from 1289. The entrance tower to the house and the lower courtyard are from the late 15th or early 16th century.

The castle belonged the Berger family until 1532, then to the Mundolsheim family until the French Revolution. The castle fell into ruins after the Thirty Years' War and was taken over by the town of Obernai, becoming part of the continuous forest between Obernai and Bernardswiller.

The castle is today in a poor state. Remains include the ditch, wall, keep and lower courtyard.

References:

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User Reviews

Bernard Koenig (14 months ago)
Small ruined castle a little away from the path. It can be visited in complete safety. Large information panel. Beautiful view of Mont Sainte-Odile.

Michèle Muller (2 years ago)
Very nice, fairly easy hike, the two castles are quite close, a little less than 2.5km from each other

Joshua Harvey (2 years ago)
Easy to get to once you find the trail head. Gorgeous castle and fun to roam around. ?Please follow for more vids and pics ? ? @dqadventure ? @dragonquestadventure ? @dragonquestadventure

Maxime (2 years ago)
Very beautiful ruin of the castle of Birkenfels, access via a few tens of minutes of walk, this one is in the middle of the forest, calm and relaxing place, small shelters with picnic table available on site.

Stéphane Wencker (3 years ago)
Beautiful ruins to visit easily, alone or with family, because access is very suitable. A nearby shelter allows you to take a picnic break. Beautiful view of the Mont Sainte Odile massif from the entrance staircase.

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