Ramstein Castle

Ramstein Castle, locally known as Château du Ramstein, lies north of the village of the same name, in the Moselle department in France. This area is also known as the Northern Alsace or the Northern Vosges. This Ramstein Castle should not be confused with its namesake in the Bas-Rhin department.

Ramstein Castle was built around 1254 by the Windstein family to control the Zinselbach valley through which passed the road between Pirmasens and Bouxwiller. The owners of the castle started to call themselves Lords of Ramstein around 1296.

During the 14th century the Lords of Ramstein turned into robber knights. This caused the castle to be destroyed in 1335 during a punitive expedition by the troops of the Bishop of Strasbourg and their Bernese allies. It was never rebuilt.

Ramstein Castle was built on a narrow, fairly eroded rocky spur of more than 250 m long. Not much remains at present. It is freely accessible.

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