Lichtenberg Castle – Our opinion on the visit

My summary

A restored castle

When I arrived, I was amazed by its size and state of preservation. We have a lot of castle ruins in Alsace, but few of them are in such good condition.

It must be said that this castle has undergone significant rehabilitation: contemporary elements have been added to the existing ruins (already quite substantial!), making the castle unique for its mixture of ancient and modern architecture.

History of Lichtenberg Castle, jewel of the Northern Vosges

Thehistory of Lichtenberg Castle dates back to the 13th century, when it was built by the Lichtenberg family. The position of the lords’ residence is of course not insignificant: perched on high ground, it allows them to keep an eye on the surrounding area, but also… to be seen and thus show their power.

In the 16th century, the Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg had the castle converted into a fortress. A new weapon had appeared, the cannon, and it was necessary to adapt to it. It was Daniel Specklin, a famous Strasbourg architect, who took on the task of adapting the fortifications to the use of cannon. In the 17th century, the château was captured by Louis XIV’s troops and became one of the region’s most important defensive fortresses, reinforced by Vauban.

It was destroyed in the 1870 war and left in ruins. The castle site became a place for strolling, but was used again in 1945, when local residents took refuge from the bombardments.

Finally, in 1990, a major restoration project was undertaken to turn the Château Fort de Lichtenberg into a heritage interpretation center focusing on the theme of heritage and artistic creation. It is now an essential venue for historical discoveries, exhibitions, meetings, artistic experimentation and performances.

A historical monument with an original architecture

One of the castle’s distinguishing features is its architecture. Not only do you find a variety of styles, thanks to the castle’s rich history, butcontemporary architecture also blends with the ancient elements of the historic monument. Some love it, others hate it: I’m in the former category, and I think the whole thing is a great success! The castle’s pink sandstone (typical of the Vosges du Nord region) blends harmoniously with the copper, wood and glass elements added by contemporary designers. I think this bold architectural gamble has paid off!

I also like the fact that all these elements are reversible: in the future, it is therefore possible for future generations to make other choices and find the ruins of the castle as they were.

This choice is not merely aesthetic: it marks the château’s desire to be part of its history, by adding contemporary elements to its nine centuries of existence. What’s more, if the choice had been made to go for an “identical” restoration, impossible questions would have arisen: which period should be chosen, given that the château has evolved considerably over the centuries? And how to proceed in the absence of detailed plans? This choice was only made for the restoration of the guardhouse, which had only one function in the past, and for which military plans were available.

Visit of the castle of Lichtenberg

Plan to park in the village square and walk up the hill (10 minutes), to get your legs moving? The tour starts here, with explanatory panels along the way.

We then enter the restored fortress of Lichtenberg Castle. Even if you don’t want to take the tour, you can still enter the courtyard to get a good idea of what it’s like, but of course I’d advise you to buy a ticket to visit it: it’s really impressive, and you’ll findinteresting explanatory panels all along the way.

You won’t find any furniture inside, but there’s plenty to do by looking at the buildings and the variety of architectural styles that are mixed in.

Children should also enjoy the visit: wooden games are installed everywhere to make the tour more fun.

In addition to the visit, the castle of Lichtenberg regularly offers temporary exhibitions and various activities (stargazing evenings, theatrical visits, shows in the auditorium…)

What’s next?

If you come in the area, do not hesitate to visit the Lalique Museum located in Wingen-sur-Moder, the Houses of the Rocks of Graufthal or La Petite Pierre. There are also some very nice hikes to do in the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park.