Château du Grand Ringelstein
Encyclopedia
The Château du Grand Ringelstein (or Château Ringelsbourg) is a ruined castle
in the commune
of Oberhaslach
in the Bas-Rhin
département of France.
Dating from the beginning of the 13th century, it is built around several sandstone
rocks at an altitude of 644 m. At the summit of the rocks there are only meagre remains of buildings, including the remnants of a pentagonal keep
in the north, the most accessible part of the site. By contrast, the polygonal enceinte
that surrounds the group of rocks is still well-preserved, particularly on the south west side, where one can see several small fully arched openings.
Owned by the Eguisheims, the site was recorded in the middle of the 12th century. After the extinction of the family, it passed to the Bishop of Strasbourg. A haunt of brigand knights, it was destroyed in 1470.
It has been listed since 1898 as a monument historique
by the French Ministry of Culture and is state-owned.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Oberhaslach
Oberhaslach
Oberhaslach is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
in the Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
département of France.
Dating from the beginning of the 13th century, it is built around several sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rocks at an altitude of 644 m. At the summit of the rocks there are only meagre remains of buildings, including the remnants of a pentagonal keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
in the north, the most accessible part of the site. By contrast, the polygonal enceinte
Enceinte
Enceinte , is a French term used technically in fortification for the inner ring of fortifications surrounding a town or a concentric castle....
that surrounds the group of rocks is still well-preserved, particularly on the south west side, where one can see several small fully arched openings.
Owned by the Eguisheims, the site was recorded in the middle of the 12th century. After the extinction of the family, it passed to the Bishop of Strasbourg. A haunt of brigand knights, it was destroyed in 1470.
It has been listed since 1898 as a monument historique
Monument historique
A monument historique is a National Heritage Site of France. It also refers to a state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building or a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, or gardens, bridges, and other structures, because of their...
by the French Ministry of Culture and is state-owned.
See also
- List of castles in France
- Château du Petit-RingelsteinChâteau du Petit-RingelsteinThe Château du Petit-Ringelstein is a ruined fortress in the commune of Oberhaslach in the Bas-Rhin département of France. It is sited on a small summit that it surrounds with its enceinte constructed of dry stone walls.- Access :Access to the ruins is possible using the paths provided by the Club...
, a neighbouring castle