The relief of Vosges' Piedmont is shaped by the numerous rivers forming as many gateways into the mountain range. They cut into the foothills and drift away perpendicularly towards the plain. Strongholds were established at the entrance of these valleys to defend their access. From the plain, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle stands on the first high reliefs of the Vosges. Together with the villages at its feet and the vines, it forms a clear illustration of this emblematic stepped landscape