4-castle route discovery tour from Ferme Gimbelhof (extended)

First along the "Sentier des Charbonniers" to Fleckenstein Castle. From there, follow the "Felsenland Sagenweg" / "red triangle" to Krappenfels / Löwenstein / Hohenstein passing the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stein to Wengelsburg. Descent to Nothweiler via Saar-Rhein Hiking Trail / West Palatinate Hiking Trail yellow W / unmarked path to Nothweiler parking lot. From there, "Grenzgängerweg" to Col du Litschof. From there an unmarked gravel path parallel to the road to Gimbelhof. Fleckenstein Castle: is a typical rock castle of the Wasgau, built at the beginning of the 12th century on a 43 m high / 8 m wide sandstone rock, which was integrated into the castle complex. It was the family seat of the Fleckensteiner family from 1129 to 1720. In 1680 it was destroyed by French troops and not rebuilt. Today it is the second most visited castle in the Vosges after Haut-Koenigsbourg. Löwenstein Castle was built in the 13th century on two sandstone rocks. It consists of the eastern main castle and the western outer bailey. Only remains of a stair tower and stairs carved into the rocks remain. It is conceivable that it was used as a protective castle for the neighboring castles Hohenbourg and Fleckenstein. The castle was already destroyed in the 14th century. Hohenbourg was built at the beginning of the 13th century by the Puller family of Hohenburg and later passed by inheritance to the Sickinger family. Despite the previous expansion of the fortification with a gun tower, it was heavily damaged in 1523 in the Sickingen feud and restored from 1547 as a Renaissance castle. Like the other castles described here, it was destroyed by French troops in 1680. Worth seeing is the complex, which has been a ruin ever since, the gate to the main castle with its elaborate Renaissance sculptures. Wegeln Castle is the highest castle ruin in the Palatinate (572) and offers, like Hohenburg, a grand view from the Black Forest over the Rhine plain with Strasbourg Cathedral, Southern Vosges and the entire Palatinate Forest. The castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. The elongated fortification stretched over three levels and was surrounded by a ring wall. Only the remains of the mentioned ring wall as well as remains of gates, stairs and rock chambers remain.