Châteaux & Légendes Festival

A festival born from a passion for Rhenish castles

Launched in 2023 by the European Collectivity of Alsace as part of the cross-border project "Rhenish Castles – Burgen am Oberrhein", co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Upper Rhine program with 2.9 million euros, the Châteaux & Légendes Festival has established itself in a few editions as one of the major cultural events of the Alsatian summer. Each year, about ten Alsatian fortresses — from Haut-Koenigsbourg to Hohlandsbourg, including Fleckenstein, Lichtenberg, Ferrette, and Kaysersberg — become the setting for enchanting shows blending heritage, imagination, and artistic creation.

Hohlandsbourg: a medieval setting for an exceptional night show

Perched at an altitude of 620 meters above Wintzenheim, Hohlandsbourg Castle offers a spectacular setting for the festival's performances. This 13th-century fortress, restored and managed by the European Collectivity of Alsace, overlooks the Alsatian plain and the Colmar vineyards. At nightfall, its ramparts, towers, and inner courtyard transform into an immersive theater where stone, light, and sound tell the legends of the Rhine.

A show by John Howe and Jim Danton

The artistic direction of the festival is entrusted to John Howe, a Canadian illustrator world-renowned for his artistic concept work on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Working with director Jim Danton and the Compagnie du Reflet, he creates an original fiction each year adapted to the Alsatian castles. The show is presented as a nocturnal walking tour around nine stations, combining video projections, theater, live music, horsemen, and pyrotechnic effects for a duration of about two hours.

Renewed themes each year

Each edition explores a new facet of medieval and fantasy imagination. The first edition in 2023 was dedicated to Dragons, the second in 2024 to the Tournament of Giants, and the 2025 edition was titled "Engagez-vous!". For 2026, the theme "The Song of Stones" invites us to dive into an underground, mysterious, and vibrant universe, where earth creatures symbolize the worlds of stone and depths. This constant renewal guarantees a unique experience with each visit.

A large-scale cross-border event

Beyond Alsace, the festival extends across the Upper Rhine region, in partnership with the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Swiss cantons. With tens of thousands of spectators each summer, family workshops, medieval tournaments, storytelling, and dances, the Châteaux & Légendes Festival helps to keep alive and promote Alsace's exceptional castle heritage while offering an internationally renowned spectacle.