Château de la Roche, Medieval castle in Bellefosse, France

The Château de la Roche occupies a narrow dolomite pinnacle at 820 m above Bellefosse, separated from the mountain by a ditch over 50 m long. Its keep, built of Vosges sandstone from Tanrupt, follows the irregular rock plan over about 8 by 5 m, with a ruined lower courtyard behind.

The castle was probably built in the second half of the 13th century by a knight of Rathsamhausen, and is first mentioned in 1398 as die purgk zum Stein. In 1469 troops of the Duke of Lorraine and the Bishop of Strasbourg besieged it over the ransom raids of its occupants; it surrendered on 23 April and was dismantled, and a rebuilding attempt in 1472 failed.

The name Ban de la Roche (Steintal) comes from the rock spur the castle stands on, and the lords of Rathsamhausen took the name "zum Stein" from it. In the church of Fouday, a tomb slab commemorates Jérothé de Rathsamhausen zum Stein the Younger, who died in 1492; a fresco there probably shows a donor with his wife.

The site is reachable on foot via hiking trails that lead to the ruins on the hilltop. Sturdy footwear is recommended for navigating the uneven terrain and exploring the stone remains safely.

The castle was besieged from 19 April 1469 by troops of the Duke of Lorraine and the Bishop of Strasbourg, after its occupants had held merchant convoys from Lübeck, Göttingen and Mulhouse for ransom. Artillery brought from the Nancy arsenal forced the 22 men, 16 squires, peasants and two women inside to surrender on 23 April; the site was dismantled at once and never rebuilt.