Reinsberg Castle, Reinsberg, Germany

The founder and builder of the Reinsberg Castle is not known with certainty. However, the establishment of castle and village Reinsberg is probably due to a German nobleman named Reinhardt who had the castle built in order to protect an agricultural settlement. Already in 1197, the castle is recorded as the seat of a noble family when a member of the Reinsberg (Regensberg) family appears as a witness in a document. Their lordship did not endure for long, as they already lost major parts of their ancestral properties in the 14th century to the Schönberg family who acquired the remainder, together with the castle, in 1411. The castle remained a seat of the Schönberg family for more than 500 years. Part of the estate was a folwark in Krummenhennersdorf which was operated as a separate manor.

In the GDR, Reinsberg castle was a holiday hostel for employees of Kombinat Schwarze Pumpe, afterwards it passed into private property and was used as a hotel until 1995. It stands currently (2019) empty. The park remains accessible to visitors on foot. A local initiative has formed to save the building from ruin. The adjacent bathing park has been the open-air swimming pool for Reinsberg since 1978. The hiking trail Grabentour passes in its immediate vicinity.

The steep slope towards Bobritzsch river is a likely reason for the choice of the site for a castle-like fortification. The unprotected eastern side of the castle is defended by a moat which could only be crossed on a drawbridge. The castle was crowned by a substantial tower.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Dorothea Doerffel (4 months ago)
Nice old castle, but unfortunately nothing happens here anymore. You can't go in either. But it's nice for hiking and looking.

Frank Oppermann (2 years ago)
A beautiful old castle that looks more like a castle. It can only be visited on certain days. But we were able to see the castle from a different perspective in the moat.

Onkel Toto (2 years ago)
Hiked over the Grabentour from Krummenhennersdorf to the castle. Approx. 4.5 km. Unfortunately the castle has been closed for some time. You can read more about it online. Lots of statements of intent but nothing behind it. Lost place! But you can walk around outside and feel the flair of bygone times. Maybe it will be restored at some point. It would be nice because this needs to be preserved!

Gerd Grassow (2 years ago)
The castle as such is not a lost place, as you can read on Wikipedia. Or in the free press Chemnitz, quote March 29, 2023: Mathilda Martina Huss has won the Meissen cathedral builder Knut Hauswald as the architect for her project. Both announced the next steps in the million-dollar project on Tuesday. The building application should be submitted shortly. Quote end. An extension was added to the castle during GDR times, so that it lost its original shape. With the loss of its status as an FDGB home after the fall of the Wall, it was initially used as a speculative property. As already mentioned, it now has a new, committed owner and is beautifully situated. There is an outdoor swimming pool and a mining museum nearby (Lichtloch Rothschönberger Stolln), which is also worth a visit. You can go hiking in the area and do the Grabentour. As far as I know, the castle itself cannot yet be visited or was officially accessible on the open day.

Okw Wilhelm (2 years ago)
All entrances barricaded... Huge facility. Walkable moat. There is something mysterious about the castle. Huge coal bunker with a conveyor belt - certainly not for the caretaker.

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