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The 10 most beautiful castles in Grand Est
10 châteaux
Chosen among 808 recorded castles
What to see in Grand Est when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg (Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle)
Sélestat
Perched on a spur of the Vosges mountains above the Alsace plain, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle presents the silhouette of a medieval fortress, rebuilt in the early twentieth century on foundations going back to the twelfth century.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 2
Château de Saint-Ulrich (Saint-Ulrich Castle)
Ribeauvillé
Above the town of Ribeauvillé, the castle of Saint-Ulrich stands on a rocky spur over 500 metres high, alongside the Girsberg and Haut-Ribeaupierre castles. It served as the main residence of the lords of Ribeaupierre from the 12th to the 16th century, before they moved to a more comfortable castle below.
No. 3
Château de Hohbarr
Saverne
Set on a sandstone spur 460 metres above the Zorn valley and the Alsace plain, the Château du Haut-Barr rises over the town of Saverne. Its sweeping outlook earned it the nickname the eye of Alsace. Dating back to the 11th century, the castle is listed as a historic monument.
No. 4
Château de Malbrouck (Malbrouck Castle)
Manderen-Ritzing
In Manderen-Ritzing, at the edge of Moselle near the Luxembourg and German borders, this 14th-century fortress overlooks the so-called Land of Three Borders. Its imposing towers and restored structure make it a notable stop for visitors exploring this border region.
Adult €7Hours, prices and access
No. 5
Château-Bas de Sedan
Sedan
Set slightly below the fortified castle of Sedan, the château-bas, also known as the Palais des Princes, shows two very different faces: an elegant courtyard front with paired pilasters and dormer windows crowned by pediments, and a plainer street-facing wall pierced by a large gateway reminiscent of a town gate.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 6
Château de Lunéville (Lunéville Castle)
Lunéville
In Lunéville stands a large 18th century château that reflects the dukes of Lorraine's ambition to rival Versailles. Built for Duke Léopold I from 1703, its asymmetrical shape comes from a north wing that was never completed due to lack of funds.
No. 7
Château de Vaux (Aube)
Fouchères
Rebuilt after a fire in 1720 to designs by Germain Boffrand, a pupil of Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the château de Vaux stands at Fouchères, on the edge of the Forêt d'Orient, some twenty kilometres from Troyes.
Adult €10Hours, prices and access
No. 8
Château de Lichtenberg (Lichtenberg Castle)
Lichtenberg
Set on a hilltop in the Vosges du Nord, less than an hour from Strasbourg, the ruins of Lichtenberg Castle bear witness to seven centuries of military history, from the power of the Hanau-Lichtenberg counts to the bombardment of 1870. The pink sandstone facades still display remarkable Renaissance decoration, oculus…
No. 9
Château de Sedan (Sedan Castle)
Sedan
Rising on a rocky spur above the Meuse river, Sedan Castle is a 15th century stronghold repeatedly enlarged by the La Marck princes before being absorbed into the French kingdom's border defences.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 10
Château de l'Ortenbourg (Ortenbourg Castle)
Scherwiller
Perched on a rocky spur above Scherwiller in the Bas-Rhin, the ruins of the Ortenbourg crown a ridge shared with the neighbouring Ramstein castle. The site traces back to a lordly family settled here from the 10th century, before being largely rebuilt by Rudolf of Habsburg in the 13th century.
Every castle in Grand Est (808)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Grand Est?
- The most visited in Grand Est is Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 808 castles recorded in Grand Est, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.