Castle Hagueneck

Near the Five Castles Route is the Hagueneck, a modest but charming little 13th century castle which nestles discreetly in a small forested valley above Wettolsheim. It was refurbished and enlarged in the 14th century.The castle, like the village of Wettolsheim, was pledged to Burkhard of Hagueneck, a vassal of the Bishop of Strasbourg. After numerous conflicts, the castle was beseiged and burned down, but it was rebuilt shortly afterwards. Nothing more is known until it was mentioned again during the 17th century. In 1674, the ruined fortress was listed among the possessions of the rich Knights of St John. During the Revolution, the castle was sold as a national asset. Almost rectangular in plan, it was built on three levels: a square keep, the main building known as the palace, the outbuildings and stables, with finally, a projecting bastion. The Hagueneck was designed more as a residence than for military use: modestly sized, lying at the end of a valley, far from the main lines of communication, it is hardly an ideal place to defend. This site was classified as a Historical Monument on 29th January 1923.

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