Château de Hohbarr, Rock castle in Saverne, France

Château de Hohbarr rises on three sandstone rocks at about 470 meters altitude and spreads across roughly 250 meters along the hilltop. The complex consists of several buildings and fortifications woven together within the rock formation.

Construction began in 1170 under orders from the Bishop of Strasbourg to control passage between the Alsatian plain and Lorraine plateau. The fortress played a key role in regional power dynamics for centuries to follow.

On 17 May 1586, Strasbourg bishop Jean de Manderscheid founded the Brotherhood of the Horn at the castle, calling it the capital of the free drinkers of his diocese. The name Haut-Barr derives from the Celtic bor, meaning summit, and was recorded as Borre in 1112.

The castle is reachable from Saverne by car in about 10 minutes or via a marked hiking trail in roughly 90 minutes. Visitors choosing to walk should wear proper footwear and allow enough time to explore the route comfortably.

In 1798 a Chappe telegraph tower was built inside the castle walls near the Devil's Bridge linking two rock spurs, chosen for the high, clear sightline on the Paris-Metz-Strasbourg line. Unsafe access led to its move in 1810 to Honber, a few hundred metres away in Haegen; the ruined tower is now a reconstruction open to visitors with an exhibition inside.