Château du Hohlandsbourg, a ruined castle in Alsace, has been many things. Built in 1279 on the order of the Provost of Colmar, Siegfried de Gundolsheim, the site at 620 m above sea level allowed for the surveillance of Colmar and its region.
In the 16th century, Lazarus von Schwendi, a general of the Holy Roman Empire, owned the castle and enlarged it, while it is said he brought Tokay vines from Hungary to Alsace. The castle changed hands several times during wars, and was blown up in 1637 by troops who wanted to prevent it from falling into the hands of an Austrian army.
It has been listed as a monument historique since 1840 and was restored during the 1990s. Today, it serves as a cultural and historical centre and is open to the public between Easter and 11 November.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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