Château du Frœnsbourg

Lembach, Bas-Rhin, France, France

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Château du Frœnsbourg is a ruined 13th-century castle located northwest of Lembach in the Bas-Rhin département of northeastern France, within the Alsace region.

Built by a branch of the Fleckenstein family who took the name Froensburg, this impressive semi-troglodytic (partly rock-cut) cliff castle stands at 310 meters altitude and offers beautiful views over the Steinbach valley. The castle was first mentioned in 1235 but became notorious as a den of knight-brigands, leading to its siege and destruction in 1348 by the Alliance for Public Peace.

It was rebuilt in 1389 by the Loewenstein brothers as a palatine fief and later modified by the Fleckensteins in the 15th century, including the construction of a residential tower dated 1484. The castle was eventually dismantled in 1677 after Alsace's annexation to France, though it may have been abandoned long before, and its ruins have been protected as a monument historique since 1898.

Visitors can reach the site by parking at Niedersteinbach and following a yellow diamond-marked trail for about 30 minutes of walking.