Standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Alsace plain at an altitude of 2,483 ft (757 m), the Haut-Kœnigsbourg watches over the Vosges and the Black Forest. This mountainous area to the east of the Rhine plain is the geological counterpart of the Vosges to the west. At the foot of Haut-Kœnigsbourg is the village of Orschwiller. In the morning mist, hunchbacked valleys dot the plain. The castles of Kitzheim, Oedenbourg, and Ortenbourg, are visible from the top of their hills.