Location: Bas-Rhin département Map
Constructed:1246 and 1264 by by Eberhard d'Andlau
Château d'Andlau is a well preserved medieval citadel that sits on top of the strategic hill overlooking a charming wine covered valley. Château d'Andlau was constructed by Eberhard d'Andlau between 1246 and 1264. Then Alsace region lost its independence in 1678 and became just another province of French kingdom it suffered a pillage from the hands of troops of marshal François de Créquy. After French Revolution the castle was quickly sold to the merchant who started selling the citadel piece by piece. However in 1818 the château was bought by Antoine-Henri d'Andlau who managed to stop the destruction. Currently it is in possession of the Andlau family.
Built on a narrow granite bar, at an
altitude of 451 meters, Haut-Andlau dominates the valleys of Andlau
and Kirneck. The builder of the granite block castle was most
certainly Eberhard d'Andlau between 1246 and 1264. In 1678, after
Alsace was joined to France, it was looted by the troops of Marshal
de Créquy. The castle remained in the hands of the Counts of Andlau
until the French Revolution and was then used as a residence for a
game warden in the service of the family.
Confiscated as
national property, it was sold in 1796 to a merchant who, from 1806,
sold the castle piece by piece in general indifference. In 1818,
Frédéric-Antoine-Marc d'Andlau bought the ruin and saved it from
destruction. Consolidation work was undertaken in 1859. The castle
was listed as a historic monument in 1926 and was consolidated in
1927-1928 by a restoration campaign launched at the initiative of
the Club Vosgien. It still belongs to the family of Andlau.
dilapidation. Count Guillaume d'Andlau created in 2000 an
association of friends of the castle of Andlau to unite the wills.
Under his leadership, the association is leading several work
campaigns. Integration projects have also been organized since 2005.
the castle becomes the center of multiple activities revolving in
particular around contemporary art and training.
Count
Guillaume d'Andlau became the owner of the castle in 2005 and a site
management agreement was signed in 2008 between the new president of
the association Raoul Bock and the owner.
The castle is spread over two levels. The upper part is built on a narrow ridge about twenty-five meters wide and eighty meters long, oriented from south - south-east to north - north-west. It consists of a long three-storey dwelling flanked and surmounted at each end by a quasi-circular tower about ten meters in diameter. The lower level has arches and the two upper ones are lit by numerous windows. The castle is built in one piece, only the poultry yard having undergone changes in the sixteenth century. As for the neighboring Spesbourg castle, the material used is granite extracted on site. To the east, a steep slope of the mountain serves as its natural defense, while on the other sides, a wide and deep ditch cut in the rock isolates and protects it.