Château de Reichenstein, Riquewihr

Château de Reichenstein is a ruined castle in the commune of Riquewihr, in the department of Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France. It has been a listed historical monument since 1990.[1][2]

Ruins of Reichenstein Castle.

The ruin lies in the valley of the Sambach (a local brook). The ruin is near to that of another castle ruin: Château de Bilstein.

History

The castle was built for the knights of Reichenstein somewhere before 1255 (when it was first mentioned). The knights of Reichenstein were a family of robber barons (Chevaliers Voleurs in French, it is argued that they were also known as Rheinstein in Germany). This castle was ruined in 1265 by the militia's of Strasbourg and Colmar on the orders of Rodolphe de Habsbourg, as a reprisal, supposedly because the Reichensteins interfered with the local trade. The castle was never rebuilt.

Because of their activities a similar fate befell some of their other properties, after the creation of the Hanseatic League.

Alternate name

Because the tower is the most prominent part of the ruin, which is near Riquewihr, the castle is sometimes called "La Tour de Riquewihr" and marked on maps as such.[3]

Similar castles

The family known as the Reich von Reichenstein also held Château de Landskron (in France) and Inzlingen Castle (also known as Schloss Reichenstein) (in Germany).

References
  1. Base Mérimée: PA00085761, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French) Ruines du château de Reichenstein
  2. Ruines du château de Reichenstein in Base Merimée (in French)
  3. Tour de Riquewihr on Google Maps

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