Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The castle of Andlau, also called Haut-Andlau, is a castle built between 1246 and 1264 by Eberhard d'Andlau on a granite bar at 451 meters altitude. It dominates the valleys of Andlau and Kirneck, offering a strategic position. The site is composed of a long house flanked by two circular towers, with a bassyard transformed in the 16th century. Granite, extracted on site, is the main material, and the castle is naturally protected by cliffs and a ditch cut into the rock.

In 1678, after Alsace joined France, the castle was looted by the troops of Marshal de Créquy. It remained the property of the Counts of Andlau until the Revolution, even serving as a residence for a forester. In 1796 it was sold to a merchant who dismantled it from 1806 to sell the materials. Saved in 1818 by Count Antoine-Henri of Andlau, it was classified as a historical monument in 1926 and consolidated in 1927-1928 thanks to the Vosges Club.

In the 20th century, the castle showed signs of fragility, such as the fall of part of the enclosure in 1998. Guillaume d'Andlau created in 2000 the Association of Friends of the Castle of Andlau to organize restoration works. Since 2005, integration projects have been carried out, and the site hosts cultural activities, particularly around contemporary art. In 2019, it is selected to benefit from the Heritage Lotto.

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