Koenigsbourg Castle is located not far from where we are hanging around today.   Since we elected NOT to take a 2.5km hike to see the towering ruins of the 3 castles above the village of Ribeauvillé we decided to make the 20 min drive to see this castle instead.   Koenigsbourg Castle dates back to around 1147.  The castle fell in 1633 to Swedes who looted it and burned it down.  It was overgrown by a forest and later given to King Wilhelm II who restored it in a more modern Germanic style – thus strengthening the links between Germany and Alsace. In 1993, the restored castle was officially designated as a national historic site by the French Ministry of Culture. Today, it is one of the most famous tourist attractions of the region.