The Haut-Koenigsbourg castle is built on a rocky spur, dominating the Alsace plain at an altitude of over 750 meters (2 260 ft). Like a sentinel keeping watch between the Vosges and the Black Forest, its occupants were able to watch over convoys of merchandise and anticipate invasions from the top of the ramparts. Unfortunately, its thick walls and artillery, still visible today, did not prevent its destruction by the Swedish army in 1633. In 1900, the castle was completely restored at the request of William II.