Château du Vieux-Windstein, Medieval rock castle near Windstein, France

Château du Vieux-Windstein is a fortified structure perched on a sandstone outcrop near Windstein, consisting of two distinct building complexes with chambers carved into the rock itself. The layout integrates the natural stone formation as a key defensive element.

The castle is first documented in 1205, in a charter of King Philip, which records it as an imperial fief held by the Windstein family; its origins are thought to be older. In 1332 troops of the Bishop of Strasbourg, the city of Hagenau and the Lords of Lichtenberg took it after a ten-week siege, and it was rebuilt despite a ban. French forces under General Monclar destroyed it for good in 1676/1677.

The castle is a listed climbing site of the Fédération française de la montagne et de l'escalade, with 95 routes graded 4c to 8b, 92 on the cliff and 3 on boulders. Climbing is banned from 16 February to 15 March for nesting raptors, and longer if nesting succeeds. Sandy ground makes abseiling down after routes mandatory.

The ruins are accessible via marked hiking trails from Windstein village, and visitors should wear sturdy footwear since some paths are steep and rocky. Guided tours are available to help explore the medieval structures and stone chambers more thoroughly.

The site contains a well that extends 41 meters (135 feet) deep, carved entirely into solid rock. This well demonstrates the extraordinary effort inhabitants invested to secure a water source at this elevated location.