Hombourg Castles: the real one, the fake one and the ruin

Car park at the "L'Espace des Deux Rives" cemetery. The starting point of the walk is at the junction of Rue du Chêne and Rue d'Ottmarsheim in Hombourg.

(S/E) Take Rue du Chêne. Ignore Rue du Saule, Rue des Buissons and Impasse des Cerisiers in turn, then turn right into Rue du Hêtre. At the end of this short street, turn left into Rue des Mimosas.

(1) When the street turns left, continue straight on along a small dirt track that runs between the houses. When you come out onto a street, do the same by crossing it and continuing straight on. Repeat this once more when you come to the next street. The path then branches off to the right. At the end of the dirt track, turn left onto Rue du Canal d’Alsace. Ignore Rue des Landes and Impasse de l’Écluse, both on the left.

(2) Turn right onto Rue de Niffer. 100 m further on, at the crossroads, continue straight ahead and take the “Véloroute Rhin Rheinweg No. 15” cycle path and leave the village. After passing a first path on your right, the path curves slightly to the left. Pass under a high-voltage power line. After that, ignore a tarmac path on the left and, a little further on, a second tarmac path on the right just before a small incline.

(3) Just before the path curves slightly to the right, take a path on the right – also situated at a small dip – towards the “Ruins of Butenheim Castle”. Ignore two paths leading off to the left, then pass under the high-voltage power line again. Next, take the path on the right, situated between two fields. When you reach the end of the first field on your right, ignore a path leading off to the right and continue straight ahead.

(4) After a second field, when you reach a crossroads, turn left towards the castle. When you cross the main road, cross carefully until you are in front of the entrance to the Domaine de Hombourg. Facing the entrance, take the path on the right that runs alongside the road. Walk past the “Hombourg Château” bus stop. When you reach the village entrance, take the first street on the left, Rue du Golf, towards the Château golf course.

(5) At the junction with a wrought-iron wayside shrine, continue straight on towards the golf course, still on Rue du Golf. After a right-hand bend and a long avenue lined with tall trees, you will reach the entrance to the golf course.

(6) Facing the entrance, take the path on the right. After a slight bend to the left, ignore a path branching off to the right and continue straight on, passing a pond behind a wire fence. Continue along this path, which then runs alongside a small stream. At the end of this path, turn left to reach the waterfall.

(7) At this point, two paths go straight ahead and another turns right. Ignore the one turning right and continue straight ahead, taking the path on the left, behind the gate. About 300 m further on, take the first path that turns right and enter the forest. About 500 m further on, at a crossroads, turn right. Ignore the first path on the left. Continue straight on towards the “Parcours Vitae”, cross a bridge and then turn right. Walk past the fitness equipment and continue straight on until you reach the waterfall again.

(7) Turn left and continue straight on towards the village. Enter the village via Chemin de Habsheim. At the end of the street, at the ‘Stop’ sign, turn right into Rue Principale. Walk past a wayside cross. Ignore Rue des Prés and Rue de la Libération in turn, then, after passing a small park with a bench, cross carefully at the pedestrian crossing and turn left into Rue d’Ottmarsheim.

Ignore a path branching off to the left and continue straight on until you return to the starting point (S/E).

Not far from point (5), there are picnic tables (about 300 m away). To reach them, take Rue de la Plaine Sportive on the left. After crossing a bridge, you will walk along the back of the Hombourg sports complex. The tables are located next to the tennis courts and a small football pitch.

(S/E) At the starting point is “L’Espace Des Deux Rives”, a beautifully landscaped cemetery that stands out from traditional cemeteries due to its architecture and unconventional use of the available space. It is open and can be visited at normal times and is well worth a look.

Just past the point (3) lie the ruins of Butenheim Castle, hidden by a copse. It is safe to explore the site (a path has been laid out). To do so, take the first path that turns left just after the copse. The entrance is immediately on the left, next to a sign providing some information on the castle’s history.

After the point (4), you will see a medieval-style castle. This is Burrus Castle. However, this castle is in fact completely ‘fake’! By this we mean that it dates from 1930, is built of reinforced concrete and is an ‘idealised’ version of what one might imagine a medieval fortified castle to look like. It is in reality a modern barn that is now part of the Domaine de Hombourg.

At this point (6), you can admire the superb Château de Hombourg, which is very much the real thing. Dating from the 18th century, it now stands proudly in the middle of the Hombourg golf course.

At the point (7) there is a pretty waterfall. There is a bench there so you can take the time to admire it whilst you rest.