Château du Vieux-Windstein

To make a day of it

Château du Vieux-Windstein stands in Windstein (Bas-Rhin), in the Grand Est region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 12th century, 13th century, 14th century). Admission is free. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Set on a narrow sandstone ridge above the village of Windstein, this 12th-century ruin stands out for its features carved straight into the rock: stairways, a cistern, cave-like chambers and a well 41 metres deep. The site retains two separate groups of structures divided by a natural cleft, remnants of a stronghold once split between two noble families. Open to the public with free access, it draws both visitors interested in old fortifications and climbers, as the rock face is a listed climbing area.

Written from Château du Vieux-Windstein

What to know

• Access is free and unrestricted, with no set opening hours.
• The ground is rugged and the site has no facilities for visitors with reduced mobility.
• Parking is available around the Windstein town hall, followed by a walk to reach the ruin.
• The rock face also serves as a climbing site, with seasonal restrictions due to nesting birds of prey.
• Sturdy footwear is recommended for the rock-cut stairways and passages.

Practical information

Visit duration

Not verified

Wheelchair access

Not accessible

Dogs

Not verified

Parking

Park around the mairie

Where this château is

Windstein · Bas-Rhin · Grand Est

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

67110 Windstein

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

Get directionsView on a map

4.4 / 5from 249 Google reviews

Heritage status

Registered historic monument (inscrit)

Mérimée record PA00085239

Period of construction

12th century, 13th century, 14th century

Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme

In pictures

Sources

Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Mérimée register.

• This entry in Markdown
• Wikidata Q440833
• Mérimée PA00085239
• Official website

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