Built on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of more than 2,260 ft (750 m), the Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle overlooks the Alsace plain between the Vosges and the Black Forest. Despite its ramparts that make it seem impregnable, the citadel suffered numerous battles and changed owner many times. After Alsace's annexation into the German Empire, the castle became the property of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1899. It returned to France, like the whole Alsace-Moselle, after World War I. Haut-Kœnigsbourg's longevity makes it a model fortified castle regionwide.