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Origin and history

The castle of Dreistein, located in the commune of Ottrott (Bas-Rhin, Grand Est), is a castle in ruins dating from the 13th century, although some sources also suggest a possible construction in the 14th century. It consists in reality of three castles built on three adjoining rocky spurs, hence its name Drei Stein ("three stones" in medieval German). These buildings, built in pink sandstone of the Vosges, overlook the Ehn Valley and form part of a defensive network including the castles of Ottrott (Koepfel, Rathsamhausen, Lutzelburg) and Hagelschloss, near the pagan wall of Mount Saint Odile.

The current remains reveal a two-part separation by a ditch, with a semi-outbuilding stair tower in the western castle. Historians agree on destruction in the seventeenth century, probably in its first half, although the causes remain uncertain. Consolidation work was carried out in the 19th century (an inscription dated 1866 bears witness to this), and the site was listed as historic monuments on 6 March 1990.

Access to the Dreistein is only on foot, via hiking trails marked by the Vosges Club. Owned by a private company, the castle is not open to visit permanently, but its state allows to observe medieval construction techniques and the strategic role of these fortifications in protecting the Alsatian valleys. The sources refer to differences in its exact dating, as well as to tasker marks suggesting changes after its initial construction.

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