Alsace boasts of many castles, most of which were built in the Middle Ages. Among them is the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle (“Hohkönigsburg” in German or King’s High castle), 757 metres above sea level, which dominates the vast Alsace plain. The stronghold is visible from Sélestat (7.5 miles or 12 km away) and Colmar (16 miles or 26 km away). The dense forests that surround it meet the Alsace plain and its vineyards, interspersed with wine-producing villages. The GR 5 hiking trail criss-crosses the Haut-Koenigsbourg massif and sometimes merges with the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, as in Orschwiller and Kintzheim.