Starkenburg Castle, Heppenheim, Germany

Starkenburg Castle, built in 1065 on Schlossberg mountain above Heppenheim’s picturesque old town, is one of the oldest castles to be found in the western Odenwald region. At first, it resembled a Roman fort, which consisted of simple wooden constructions, towers, earthworks and bulwarks. King Frederick entrusted the Archbishop of Mainz with Lorsch Abbey and Starkenburg Castle in 1232. Under the rule of the Electoral Mainz, the castle was reconstructed into a late medieval fort castle.

In 1675-1689, Archbishop-Elector of Mainz Anselm of Ingelheim pushed the castle’s reconstruction. It was designed to be a fortress complex and a place of agricultural production, storage and administration. It was designed imitating the French model. In 1765, the Mainz occupying troops were withdrawn and the castle was released to be demolished and parts of the castle fell victim to demolition. The keep of the romantic castle ruin had to be torn down in 1924 due to its ruinous state. It was rebuilt in a different design in the entrance area. The residential building was also reconstructed, however, in a modern design. Later, a further new Jugendherberge (youth hostel) was constructed up there. With 121 beds and 5 seminar rooms, it offers best conditions for a comfortable stay in romantic surroundings.

References:

heppeinheim.de

User Reviews

Martin Reinheimer (11 months ago)
Beautiful view. Very tidy place. There is actually a lot left of it. Seems pretty intact. Yet not much merchandise or made for entertainment or educational purposes. We took the short way up, wich is very steeply and narrow

Big Daddy Stick (2 years ago)
Really cool castle. Drove all the way up. Parking was available. Was able to go inside and have a drink. Souvenirs available. Free entry.

Aleksejs Ivcenkovs (2 years ago)
Nice place and castle. Located on top of the hill.

Roxanne Li (3 years ago)
It'll require a nice walk then give you a nice view of Heppenheim. And people can enjoy some drink in the Biergarten next to the castle.

Amzzz (3 years ago)
Nice walk up to the tower. There is also possibility to go by car till the end. They have now youth hostel in the tower. I think they also have star gazing events there for kids. Well maintained, best to from wed- Sunday for more lively atmosphere.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus

The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.

The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.

The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.

Starkenburg Castle

Address

Details

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Church of St Donatus