In the fall of 2023, I took a trip with my dog to the Three Castles near Ribeauvillé.
We had already visited in 2022 but enjoyed the Alsace area so much that we came back to explore more. If you are looking for more things to do in the area, do take a look at my other articles from Alsace. Lots of great options in there!
If you are looking for a place to stay in Alsace, I can also recommend the hotel that I stayed at in Riquewihr during my first trip in 2022.
But for now, let’s dive into this fun hike to take with your dog to some castle ruins!
THE ROUTE
The route starts right behind this parking lot, where you will find a sign pointing out “Les 3 Châteaux” (The Three Castles). The hike is overall well sign-posted, which I always appreciate.
The first part of the hike takes you uphill through a woody stretch. We visited at the end of October and it had rained a bit in the previous days, so the ascent was a little slippery. Make sure that you wear appropriate shoes depending on the conditions!
It took us around an hour to reach the first castle: the Château du Girsberg. It is called that because the lords of Ribeaupierre gifted it to the knights of Girsberg. Today it is in ruins.
From here, you also get rewarded for conquering the hill, as you can enjoy a fabulous panoramic view of the city of Ribeauvillé.
In the distance, you can already see the second castle: the Château Saint-Ulrich which is also sometimes referred to as the Château de Grand-Ribeaupierre.
Back in the day, the lords of Ribeaupierre used this castle as their primary residence. Today it is also in ruins. You can climb up the old fortifications for a nice view back towards the Guisberg castle as well the mountain panorama. Highly recommended.
Even though this is a three castle hike, we decided to stop after two castles as the weather started to turn. If you continue on, the path will take you to the third castle: Château du Haut-Ribeaupierre. We will have to come back to discover this one another time!
HOW LONG IT TAKES AND WHO IT’S FOR
Since we only saw two of the three castles, we spent around 2 hours on this hike. It took us around an hour to come up the hill and then exploring the two castle ruins and going back down took another hour or so. Sure-footedness is required on this hike, especially in wet conditions as both the trail and the castle ruins can be slippery. The uphill part can also be a bit strenuous.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This is a very nice hike to take with your dog in the Alsace area. Even though we only managed to see two of the three castles, we had a great time and very much enjoyed the panoramas at the top of the hill. If you are in the area, this hike is highly recommended and very suitable for your pup as well.
A trip with my dog 