Château de Morimont

The exact date of the castle's construction is unknown, but building is presumed to have begun around the mid-12th century by Adalbert von Mörsberg, whose family served as ministerials to the Counts of Pfirt. The Lords of Mörsberg were first documented in 1183, and the castle itself in 1241 as a fief of the Pfirts. After the death of the last Count of Pfirt in 1324, Morimont passed to the Habsburgs. A severe earthquake in Basel in 1356 significantly damaged the castle, after which it was rebuilt. Further destruction occurred at the hands of Swiss Confederation troops during the campaigns of 1445 and 1468. From the 16th century onwards, the castle underwent extensive modifications, transforming it into a Renaissance fortress, characterized by mighty roundels designed to counter artillery. In 1582, the castle was sold to the Spanish noble family Ortenburg-Salamanca. During the Thirty Years' War, French troops occupied the site, set it on fire in 1637, and destroyed it. It was never rebuilt. In 1826, Swiss Jura patriots took the “Oath of Morimont” here, advocating for the Jura's independence.

The castle ruin is located at approximately 543 m above sea level in Oberlarg, in the Haut-Rhin department (Upper Alsace) in the Alsace region of France.

The castle ruin is now a Monument historique and can be visited. Visitors will find a well-preserved site with parts of the original walls, seven round towers, and a cellar vault over 50 meters long. The northeast roundel is particularly impressive, with a diameter of 18 meters and a wall thickness of six meters. A sign commemorates the “Oath of Morimont.”

• Miécourt Castle (Château), approx. 3.8 km away
• Pleujouse Castle (Château), approx. 3.8 km away
• Asuel Ruin (Castle), approx. 5.2 km away
• Löwenburg Ruin (Castle), approx. 7.9 km away