Kreuzberg Castle, Altenahr, Germany

Kreuzberg was first mentioned as Cruceberg in a document in 893. Around 1100, the settlement came under the ownership of the Counts of Are, who built an initial residential house for one of their administrators on Kreuzberg. It is often stated that the bergfried (keep) of the castle was built during the 15th century. However, it is quite possible that this part of Burg Kreuzberg belongs to the oldest section of the complex and dates back to the 14th century. French troops destroyed the castle in 1686.

Today the main castle rises on an almost triangular ground plan, following the structure of the artificial castle plateau. The area is surrounded by the inner curtain wall. On the north side of the main castle area stands the baroque, two-story residential building made of rubble stones.

User Reviews

COD Jonado (2 years ago)
Are castle is an old place built by the founder of Cathedral in Köln. The place is good (castle) but I recomand you to visit it in a rainy day.

Jacobo Ortiz Wic (3 years ago)
Nice for a day trip if you like castles or ruins. Beautiful surroundings. Need a cap/hat if it is sunny, there are few shadows.

Steinthor Steinthorsson (5 years ago)
Excellente view, at the start off what is called the red wine trail. Which is a hiking trail that goes through vineyards for up to 80 km. The best view and hike is in my view between Alternahl to Arweiler takes around 4-5 hours. Best is to park the car at either location and take a train back when finished.

may (6 years ago)
Beautiful Castle! The walk up the hill was not unbareble at all, in fact I really enjoyed it. The castle itself is very beautiful. It's surrounded by a lot of grass, plants and flowers. You can walk through the castle itself and you can take a small hike around the castle. The castle also has a great view of the surrounding hills and town. We had to leave early because of the bad weather, but I would definitely go again! (then hopefully the weather won't be as bad)

AlphaLevi (6 years ago)
Beautiful views and only a short walk from away from town.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright olive.titus

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Château de Niort

Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.

The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.

The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.

Kreuzberg Castle

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