Four Castles route

The Four Castles route starts at the hiking car park at the end of Lembacher Straße in Nothweiler. It is a combination of various marked hiking paths on the German and French sides. Via Lembacherstraße, we reach the idyllic half-timbered village of Nothweiler. In the village center, the hiking trail leads uphill to the left following the "Felsenland Sagenweg" marking up to the Wegelnburg castle ruins, the highest castle ruin in the Palatinate (572 m). From here, there is a magnificent view over the Palatinate Forest and the Northern Vosges.

The Wegelnburg is the highest castle ruin in the Palatinate (572 m). In good weather, the view extends to Strasbourg Cathedral. The construction period of the castle complex is largely unknown, but the existing structures and architectural styles date back to the first half of the 13th century. The elongated fortification extended over three levels and was surrounded by a ring wall. Only remnants of the mentioned ring wall as well as remains of gates, stairs, and rock chambers have survived.

The castle route then continues slightly downhill past the "Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stein", where a shelter invites you to rest. Now, on the French side, it goes slightly uphill on the springy forest floor towards the Hohenbourg/F castle ruins.

The Hohenbourg/F is located at 550 m elevation on Schlossberg directly on the German-French border. It was built in the early 13th century by the Puller von Hohenburg family. By inheritance, the castle passed to the Sickinger family. In the early 16th century, they reinforced the Hohenbourg with a large artillery tower. In 1523, it was destroyed during the Sickingen Feud, but was rebuilt between 1547 and 1578 as a Renaissance castle. Like many other fortifications, the French destroyed the complex in 1680, and it has remained a ruin ever since. A gate to the main castle with elaborate Renaissance sculptures is particularly well preserved.

Next, after a few minutes of flat walking, the next highlight: the Löwenstein/F castle ruins.

The Löwenstein/F is a castle ruin from the 13th century. It was built on two adjacent sandstone rocks. The main castle lies to the east and the outer bailey somewhat lower to the west. Remains of a staircase tower and stairs carved into the rocks have survived. It was destroyed in the 14th century. It is possible that it was used as an outpost for the Hohenbourg and Fleckenstein castles. From the platform of the two rock parts, there is a magnificent view over the forests of the Northern Vosges and the adjoining Palatinate Forest.

After visiting the Löwenstein/F, the castle route leads along narrow paths past gnarled pines down to the mighty Fleckenstein/F castle, one of the most impressive castles in the Northern Alsace, featuring the puzzle castle "P'tit Fleck" for kids. In the old castle courtyard, the little ones can explore the sandstone and the forest (there is a place to eat).

The Fleckenstein/F castle lies directly on the German border with Alsace. It belongs to the group of typical rock castles of the Wasgau. The castle was probably built in the early 12th century on a 43-meter high and approximately eight-meter wide sandstone rock, part of the castle complex. It was the ancestral seat of the Fleckenstein family from 1129 to 1720. In 1680, French troops burned the fortress, which was not rebuilt. The castle features many interesting passages and chambers carved into the rocks.

Following the "red/white/red" marking, the hike continues to the Ferme du Gimbelhof, which invites you to rest. For children, there is an adventurous castle playground nearby, an absolute must. Now follow the "blue dot" marking to the Col du Litschhof shelter. Turn left here and the last part of the route follows the "Grenzgängerweg" marking past the Litschhof fort house through a lovely woodland and along a small stream back to the forest car park in Nothweiler, the starting point of the tour.