Strasbourg
There are around 300 medieval castles on the Upper Rhine. Joint activities by the neighboring countries of Switzerland, France and Germany are intended to improve the visibility of this heritage in the public eye. The project runs for two years.
A new culture and tourism project is highlighting the Upper Rhine region as the “land of castles” across borders. The project runs until the end of 2025 and brings together actors from Germany, France and Switzerland.
It is about making the cultural heritage known to people across borders, said the Alsatian regional authority CEA in Strasbourg. There are around 300 medieval castles in the region. Flagships include Rötteln Castle in Lörrach in southern Baden, Trifels Castle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Haut-Koenigsbourg (Hohkönigsburg) in Alsace and Habsburg in Switzerland.
Around five million euros are being invested in the castle initiative. Around three fifths of these come from an EU programme. From the Baden-Württemberg side, the district office of Ortenaukreis and the state palaces and gardens are involved. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the German Castles Association is there, as the CEA announced. According to the information, four cantons in Switzerland are also involved.
The President of the Collectivité européenne d’Alsace (CEA), Frédéric Bierry, recently told the eastern French regional newspaper “Dernières Nouvelles d’Alsace” that the castles on the Upper Rhine do not need to hide behind the castles of the Loire. These are a top tourist attraction in France.
Meetings, festivals and conferences are planned for spring. On the German side, for example, a festival is planned for May 1st in Hardenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate.
