Château de Lutzelbourg, Medieval fortress in Lutzelbourg, France

Château de Lutzelbourg is a ruined spur castle on a rocky promontory above the Zorn valley in the Moselle department. Its roughly 80 by 130 metre enceinte holds two keeps built of bossed ashlar: a large square tower at the neck ditch and a pentagonal one near the centre. The square keep, 24 metres high with walls 2.40 metres thick, stands roofless, its reddish-brown courses mossy at the base.

Pierre de Lutzelbourg, son of Count Frederick of Montbéliard, founded the fortress in the 11th century on a strategic hilltop. Around 1100 it was exchanged with Marmoutier Abbey, bringing it under church control.

The castle entrance displays a carved stone face, reflecting medieval protective beliefs common in regional architecture. Such decorations reveal how residents once used symbolic elements to ward off harm.

The ruins are open year-round and free to visit, accessible via a marked trail from Lutzelbourg village that climbs uphill for about 30 minutes. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for a steep walk to reach the hilltop.

The castle has two bergfrieds built of bossed ashlar: a larger square one at the neck ditch and a pentagonal one near the middle of the site. Their existence may indicate that a joint inheritance of the castle already existed when it was rebuilt.