Four-Castle Tour Around Château de Fleckenstein

In the vicinity of Château de Fleckenstein in France, just beyond the German border, lie three additional castle ruins within a mere 1.5 km radius, all presumably dating back to the 12th or 13th century. These four structures are classified as rock castles, meaning that some were quite literally carved into existing sandstone cliffs. The intriguing question arises: what factors, aside from its proximity to the national border, prompted the construction of four castles within such a confined space? Let us embark on a quest together and try to find traces whether the medieval castle lords may have discovered pre-existing structures and subsequently built their fortifications atop and around them.
Blog post, map & photos: https://mystictrails.net/blog/chateau...