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Højriis Castle traces its history back to the beginning of the 15th century. The first known owner is Johan Skarpenberg, a knight in the service of Queen Magrethe I, who owned several other estates in the area, including Spøttrup Castle in Salling on the other side of the water. He is buried at Viborg Cathedral.
In the 20th century Højriis was hit hard by the adverse times for Danish manors. The building fell into a state of despair and was left uninhabited from 1865. This situation lasted until 1994 when the property was acquired by the current private owners.
The castle is a three-winged complex built in the Historicist style which dominated Danish architecture at the time of its construction. The north-west wing and the tower were designed by Hans Jørgen Holm and built in 1859. The north-east and south-west wings were designed by August Klein and built in 1876. The complex is surrounded by moats.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.