Obersteinbach: Castles and Hiking Trails

Obersteinbach lies on the German and Lorraine border, in a natural landscape with extensive forests. Several rocks shaped by erosion rise above the village. Castle ruins and hiking trails are also a major draw for visitors: the Maison des Châteaux in Obersteinbach is the starting point for numerous trails to the surrounding ruins. If you are planning a hotel stay and trip around hiking and castles, you will find specific options here.

The Maison des Châteaux and its exhibition

The Maison des Châteaux exhibition brings together photographs of the ruins’ architectural features, maps and remains displayed on site. These include carved stones, oven tiles and ceramics. Views of the architectural forms are thus presented alongside maps and material evidence. The Maison offers a thematic introduction before you set out to explore the castle ruins and hiking trails in the surrounding area.

The outdoor area is also part of the visitor experience: the garden, maze and orchard around the Maison are open to the public. Benches, themed information panels and an interactive tourist information terminal are also available on the grounds. Texts and captions in the Maison are written in French, German and English. This means you can read the exhibition content in any of these three languages.

Petit-Arnsbourg and Lutzelhardt

Petit-Arnsbourg Castle was built in the 14th century as an outpost of Wissembourg Abbey. What remains includes stairs and passages carved into the rock, as well as the remains of the lord’s palace and the defensive tower. The ruins thus combine worked rock formations with remnants of the castle buildings. If you are interested in the history of the architecture, these surviving features offer specific points of interest during your visit.

From the village center, you can reach Petit-Arnsbourg via Rue du Wachtfels and then by following a trail marked with a red diamond; the walk takes 30 minutes. To reach Lutzelhardt, travel from Obersteinbach along the D 3 towards Sturzelbronn to the Maison Forestière de Lutzelhardt car park. From there, it is a 20-minute walk to the castle along a yellow-marked GR 532 trail.

The walking times refer to different starting points: the described walk to Petit-Arnsbourg begins in the village center, while the walk to Lutzelhardt begins at the Maison Forestière car park. Take this difference into account when comparing the two times for your plans. The surviving remains at Lutzelhardt include a square keep, several residential buildings, wells and a cistern or cistern reservoir.

Hiking and stages around Obersteinbach

The Maison des Châteaux is the starting point for numerous hiking trails to the surrounding castle ruins; Obersteinbach is also a starting point for longer hikes. The GR®53 is also connected with the village. One stage from Wissembourg ends at the Maison du Randonneur on Rue principale in Obersteinbach. The second stage of the GR®53, part of the Traversée du Massif des Vosges, connects Obersteinbach with Niederbronn-les-Bains.

For your trip, you can choose from several specific priorities: the exhibition and publicly accessible outdoor area of the Maison, the described routes to two castle ruins, or the GR®53 stages. If you are looking for a hotel in Obersteinbach, you can first consider which of these activities you want to shape your stay. This way, you can choose a location based on the sights and trails you want to visit.

Discover more destinations: Saverne, Westhouse, Stundwiller, La Petite-Pierre, Beinheim, Batzendorf, Lingolsheim, Mittelhausbergen.

Go to the main travel overview: Bas-Rhin.