Bernstein Castle

Dambach la Ville

This granite Castle is the one of the oldest in Alsace, first mentioned at the beginning of the XIth century. After the extinction of the counts of Eguisheim-Dabo to whom it belonged, the Castle became the property of the Bishopric of Strasbourg until 1580, then it was abandoned until the beginning of the XIXth century, when Felix of Dartein bought it ; he had a house with outbuildings built here about 1835. The early castle has a pentagonal keep 18 metres high, the body of the seigniorial dwelling is hexagonal in shape, the walls pierced by loopholes on the ground floor and semi-circular windows upstairs, and with a square tower which contained the castle chapel.