Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre, Medieval castle ruins in Ribeauvillé, France

The Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre is a castle ruin on a hilltop near Ribeauvillé, part of three fortifications scattered across the local landscape. The remains show the basic structure of a medieval stronghold with walls and foundations dating from different periods.

The castle is first documented in 1084, making it the oldest of the Ribeaupierre castles; its site had earlier Bronze Age, Hallstatt and Roman occupation. A 9th–11th-century ramparted enclosure preceded the present castle, built in the first half of the 13th century. The Ribeaupierre family held it until their extinction in 1673, by then already a half-ruin.

The castle's name shifted with its owners: Altenkastel, meaning "old castle", appears in a 1254 document naming Bertholdus miles de Altenkastele, and Hohe Rappolstein from 1361, later gallicised to Haut-Ribeaupierre. The pinkish-brown stone courses and the red brick parapet with upright merlons visible today belong to the ruin consolidated since its 1841 listing.

Sturdy footwear is essential for exploring the ruins, as the path is steep and parts of the structure remain fragile after centuries of weathering. The ground can be slippery, so it is wise to move slowly and carefully.

In the 1380s, the fortress held English knight John Harleston as a prisoner for ransom, even though he had imperial protection. His case reveals how important the castle was for controlling trade routes of that era.