Château du Petit-Arnsbourg

A veritable eagle's nest built in the 14th century as an outpost by the abbey of Wissembourg, the castle was held in fief in 1335 by the knight Frédéric de Wasigenstein who became a highwayman and disrupted the region, forcing the guarantors of public peace (Landfrieden) to intervene militarily to lay siege to and seize the castle. In 1360, it was occupied by the Sirs of Ochsenstein, members of the guarantors of peace. When the latter died out, in 1485 the castle passed to their heirs, the Counts of Deux-Ponts-Bitche, who undertook its restoration and enlargement. It then changed hands several more times before becoming the property of the Counts of Hanau-Lichtenberg in 1606. It was probably dismantled just after the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). There are still some stairs and passageways carved into the rock, the remains of the lordly palace and the defence tower. Access: from the centre of the village, take the rue du Wachtfels (which starts next to the restaurant of the same name) and follow the path marked with a red diamond. It is a 30-minute walk to the ruin.