Raesfeld Castle

Raesfeld, Germany

The history of Raesfeld Castle dates back to the early 12th century. It was owned by the Lords of Raesfeld and came into the possession of the von Velen family at the end of the 16th century. From 1643 to 1658, the Imperial Count Alexander II von Velen, the 'Westphalian Wallenstein', had the castle converted into a residential palace in the Renaissance style. In the first half of the 18th century, the von Velen von Raesfeld dynasty died out. The castle was inhabited only irregularly and gradually fell into disrepair.

At the beginning of the 19th century, parts of the complex were demolished or used as an agricultural estate until the 20th century. Of the former four wings of the castle, only the west wing with the distinctive stepped tower and the adjoining old building to the north with a rebuilt round tower remain today.After the Second World War, the Chambers of Crafts of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, as the new owners, had the remains restored. Today, the castle is the seat of the Chambers of Crafts' further education and training institution and is used for cultural events and as a restaurant.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Heidrun Hoelter (7 months ago)
Very beautiful castle, the foundation stone of which was laid in the 14th century. Not only the castle café, but also the adjacent small, partly listed medieval settlement invites you to linger with its good restaurants. There is a short walk around the castle, which you can also extend through the zoo.
Judith Denfeld (8 months ago)
We were there for an annual general meeting and summer party. On Saturdays it was swarming with brides ;-) All in all: We slept in the outer bailey, you should know that because of the restaurants in the summer it doesn't get quiet before 1 a.m. (at least it was like that Saturday to Sunday). The rooms are cute, the breakfast in the restaurant was great.
Holly Keyse (8 months ago)
Great place to visit and not busy. Free parking
Paula Bremerich (9 months ago)
We were here on a beautiful sunny evening. The grounds are well maintained and you can take a short walk around them. If you want to extend your tour a little, you can walk through the adjacent forest. Ducks, geese, swans and gray herons clearly feel at home here. There are enough restaurants right next to the castle for a few cool drinks or something to eat.
Iting Lin (3 years ago)
Nice
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.