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Route des Châteaux
France > Alsace > Northern Vosges > Route des Chateaux

Scattered among the wooded hills to the west of Wissembourg are a host of ruined castles that once stood guard over the frontier with Germany, and the winding D3 and its smaller tributaries, which cross the now untenanted frontier, take you close to most of them. The ruins of the Château du Fleckenstein (daily: mid-March to April & Nov 1–15 10am–5pm; May–Oct 10am–6pm; €2.60 in the summer and at weekends, otherwise €2), 7km north of Lembach, are perhaps the most spectacular, rising above the forest on a narrow sandstone outcrop, just a stone's throw from the German border. Six kilometres further on at Obersteinbach, the Maison des Châteaux-Forts, at 42 rue Principal (March–Oct Wed 2–5pm, Sat & Sun 3–6pm; call in advance because opening hours are susceptible to change; tel 03.88.09.56.34; €1.60), is an information centre, with displays and maps on the other castles in the area. A rather more modern fortress, just outside Lembach, is the Four à Chaux, part of the Maginot Line (guided tours: mid-March to June & Sept to mid-Nov 10am, 2pm & 3pm; July & Aug 10am, 11am & hourly 2–5pm; tel 03.88.94.48.62; €4).

An agreeable base for exploring this area is the village of LEMBACH, where the homely and unpretentious Hôtel au Heimbach, 15 rue de Wissembourg (tel 03.88.94.43.46, fax 03.88.94.20.85; €40–55), is a pleasant place to stay. Directly opposite, the Auberge du Cheval Blanc (tel 03.88.94.41.86, fax 03.88.94.20.74; closed Mon & Tues Feb & July; menu at €30–75) serves exquisite but expensive cuisine.


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