Ruin to visit
Engelbourg Castle
Markers
Built by the Counts of Ferrette in the 13th century, the castle ensured the control of a toll in the valley. It then passed to descendants of the Ferrettes and around 1470, it was the ruthless Pierre de Hagenbach, bailiff of Charles the Bold who owned it. Overhauled and modernised several times over the centuries, it resisted the Thirty Years’ War well, but not the King of France who ordered its dismantling at the end of the 17th century.
History
The witch’s eye, giving the ruin of Engelburg all its mystery, is none other than part of the old circular keep. This section righted itself under the explosive charge placed by the miners, who were brought in from Giromagny near Belfort, on the orders of the King of France to destroy and dismantle the fortress in 1673.
Key points
Its splendid panorama embracing the entire Thur valley, the Saint-Thiebaut Collegiate Church in Thann, the grand cru vineyard of Rangen and, on a clear day, Mulhouse and the Swiss Alps.
Practical informations
- Address
-
place Joffre
68800 Thann - Access
- From the Bungert car park in Thann, cross Thur bridge, take Rue du Rangen (red rectangle) for about 150 m, then take the first turn on the right (Rue du Kattenbachy). At the next junction, turn left, pass behind the forest house and take the path controlled by an access barrier, which leads to the ruins.
- Walk time from car park
- 20 min
- Nearest tourism office
- Office de Tourisme Thann-Cernay
7 rue de la 1ère Armée, 68 800 Thann
03 89 37 96 20 - 03 89 37 04 58 - thann@hautes-vosges-alsace.fr
www.hautes-vosges-alsace.fr - @Hautes.Vosges.Alsace - Conservation association
- Les amis de l'Engelbourg
Facebook @Engelbourg
louise.chepca@hotmail.fr - GPS coordinates
- Lat.: 47.81487647 - Long.: 7.10114837
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