Château du Pflixbourg

" With its pink sandstone walls set against a backdrop of greenery, the Pflixbourg ruin is a perfect example of the picturesque and romantic, with its mast-like keep and the remains of a three-storey seigniorial dwelling. "

The Plixbourg site was occupied very early on, perhaps since the Bronze Age, and was reoccupied in the 13th century. It was first mentioned in 1220, at an altitude of 425 meters, as a garrison castle and military stronghold between the plain and the Fecht valley. It was the residence of Conrad Werner de Hattstatt, imperial bailiff, at the end of the 13th century. It was also here that his wife Stéphanie, Countess of Ferrette, died. Having had several owners between the 14th and 15th centuries, it came into the hands of Gaspard de Schlick, vice-chancellor to Emperor Sigismund. In 1434, it was sold to Smassmann de Ribeaupierre and destroyed, it seems, in a conflict between the new owner and the Sires de Hattstatt. Rendered uninhabitable, it was then abandoned to nature. The Pflixbourg is polygonal in shape, with a continuous parapet walk. It contains a keep, a cistern, living quarters and outbuildings. It is divided into three levels: basement, first floor and an upper floor containing the noble living quarters. The château was built in a single phase, using granite as the base material. It was listed on the supplementary inventory of historic monuments in 1968. It is said that a white veil stealthily escapes from a doorway, that the rustle of a tunic slides across the floor? You've probably just encountered the ghost of the White Lady of Pflixbourg. This is said to be the soul of Countess Stéphanie de Ferrette, wife of the Grand Bailli, who died of boredom in this isolated castle in 1276.