The ruins of Engelbourg Castle

The castle was built from 1224, with various extensions until the XNUMXth century.^e century. Its original purpose, in addition to being the residence of the Count of Ferrette, was to monitor the toll that regulated passage through the Thur Valley. Its name means "town of the angel" in homage to Saint Michael, leader of the angels and champion of Good, and it stands at the top of the Castle Hill, the “castle mount.”

In 1673, Louis XIV, who had conquered Alsace, saw a dilapidated castle on top of the hill, which was no longer of any strategic interest since the region had become French, pushing the border along the Rhine. The king called on miners from Giromagny to demolish the castle with explosives. When the keep collapsed, part of it remained stuck on the side, giving the ruins its current shape.

Locals nickname the castle remains "The Witch's Eye" because the keep is reminiscent of an eye watching over the town, but also because of the town's tumultuous past involving witch hunts.

Family walk through the old town offering a beautiful view of the city and the surrounding hills upon arrival.