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Origin and history

Hagelschloss Castle, also known as Waldsberg, is a castle in ruins in the town of Ottrott, in the department of Lower Rhine. It stands on the Hohenburgberg, facing Mount Sainte-Odile, in a dominant position on the Hagelthal valley. Its name could come from this geographical location, and it was identified in the 19th century as Waldsberg Castle mentioned in some historical documents.

In the 13th century, Hagelschloss was a fief of the Germanic Empire. Although the exact date of its construction remains unknown, it is attested that a chestnut named Guillaume Erb entered into conflict with the city of Strasbourg. In 1406, after holding captive ambassadors of the Strasbourg prelate, the castle was besieged, dismantled and never rebuilt.

The remains of the castle include mainly an imposing masonry arch connecting the ends of a U-shaped rock, as well as walls. Some stones seem to come from the nearby pagan wall of Mount Sainte-Odile. Access to the site is only on foot, via hiking trails marked by the Vosges Club.

The Hagelschloss is a testimony of feudal tensions in the region, marked by conflicts between local lords and urban authorities such as Strasbourg. Its abandonment after 1406 makes it an example of a medieval fortress never restored, thus preserving its state of ruins.

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