Château du Girsberg (Ribeauvillé)

Château du Girsberg is one of the famous 3 castles of Ribeauvillé.

 

3 castles of Ribeauvillé

The three famous castles that overlook the medieval city of Ribeauvillé — Saint-Ulrich, Girsberg-Stein, and Haut-Ribeaupierre — are mentioned in a saying that dates back over three centuries:

“Three castles on a mountain (Ribeauvillé) 
Three churches in an enclosure (Riquewihr)
Three towns in a valley (Ammerschwihr, Kaysersberg, Kientzheim)
That is all of Alsace.”

Among the four ruins which dominate Ribeauvillé, Saint Ulrich undoubtedly appears to be one of the most fascinating castle complexes in Haute-Alsace.

It formerly controlled the strategic road linking the Alsace plain to the upper Lièpvre valley. Witness to the power of the lords of Ribeaupierre, it was their main residence until its final abandonment in the 16th century. It therefore has different architectural styles: Romanesque parts are combined with Gothic and even Renaissance elements.

Not far from there, the Girsberg castle was built in the 13th century to house a new branch of the Ribeaupierre family: the house is still clearly visible there.

Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre was certainly built during the troubled period of the Great Interregnum, around the middle of the 13th century on the site of a first castle probably from the 10th century. It served as an advanced post during the planned invasion of Alsace by the King of France, then as a watchtower intended to prevent forest fires. The entire building is dominated by an imposing circular keep which offers a magnificent view of the Alsace plain as well as the neighboring ridges.

A fourth castle was recently discovered below Saint Ulrich.

 

Château du Girsberg

Girsberg-Stein is the most recent of the three castles overlooking the fortified medieval town of Ribeauvillé. Its original name, Stein, appears in a text from 1288, the year it was struck by lightning, setting the castle roof on fire. In fact, it was built by the lords of Ribeaupierre, one of the most powerful families in Alsatian nobility, in the first half of the 13th century. In 1304, the lords of Girsberg acquired it and gave their name to the castle. It is certainly not the one besieged by the Ribeaupierre and the Lupfen in 1422, but rather the Girsberg located in the Munster valley.

Girsberg-Stein was still inhabited in 1513, but it was gradually abandoned afterward, as the Ribeaupierre found no sufficient reason to maintain it, especially since they had owned a castle in the town of Ribeauvillé since the late 15th century.

 

The structure of Château du Girsberg

Schematic plan by J. Tealdi based on B. Ebhardt

  1. Moat.
  2. Remains of the entrance gateway, which once had a drawbridge allowing passage over the moat (second half of the 15th century). It is flanked by an arrow slit on the west side.
  3. Lower Courtyard. Mainly dating from the second half of the 15th century. Remnants of enclosure walls to the south belong to the 13th-century castle. In the northeast corner was a building; some traces remain, including a triangular buttress on the east facade.
  4. Access Path (second half of the 15th century) to the upper castle.
  5. Lordly Residence. Quite narrow, it is positioned in line behind the keep. Its walls follow the contour of the rock, which has sheer sides. In its current state, the residence has two construction phases: the first half of the 13th century for the south gable wall (with an access door) and the first two levels of the west facade extending northward; the upper part of this facade and the other walls correspond to an expansion from the second half of the 15th century. The west side facades notably have two doors leading to empty space; they once led to latrines.
  6. Pentagonal Keep (first half of the 13th century). It is characterized by its construction in stones with very pronounced rustication and having a ground floor without empty space. Its access was from above, from the residence.

Credits: N. Mengus (text), J. Tealdi (restoration and plan based on B. Ebhardt)

 

Visiting Château du Girsberg

Visiting this castle is at your own risk. The ruins are fragile, so be careful where you walk. To allow everyone to enjoy the site and to ensure your safety, please do not climb the walls, remove or move stones, approach the void, and keep a close watch on your children… Enjoy your visit!

 

Access

In Ribeauvillé park your car near the sports field, behind the high school (rue de Lutzelbach).
From there take the path (red rectangle) which climbs through the vineyard to the ruin of Saint Ulrich. At Saint Ulrich take the path on the right following the directions to the castle. Allow 40 minutes to reach Saint Ulrich and an additional 5 minutes to reach Girsberg.

You can also leave from the Ribeauvillé Tourist Office located at 1 Grand Rue. Follow Grand rue until Place de la République then take Passage Jeannelle on the right which gives access to the GR5. Allow around 50 minutes to reach Saint Ulrich and an additional 5 minutes to reach Girsberg.

 

Château du Girsberg on the map

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