Blankenheim Castle, Blankenheim, Germany

Blankenheim Castle was built around 1115 by Gerhard I and became the family seat of the House of Blankenheim. The lords of Blankenheim were elevated to the countship in 1380.

The site has been remodelled on numerous occasions. In the course of time the medieval defensive site was converted into a Baroque schloss with a Baroque garden and an orangery. Its end came in September 1794, when French troops marched into Blankenheim. Countess Augusta of Manderscheid-Blankenheim and her family fled to Bohemia.

For a long time the castle remained uninhabited until, in 1894, Prussia started work on safety measures. In 1926 it was taken over by the German Gymnastics Club and, in 1936, the site was acquired by the German Youth Hostel Association. They converted the castle into a youth hostel.

In 1996 the wildlife park tunnel was rediscovered. It is a noteworthy water supply gallery. Although the River Ahr flows nearby, the castle depended on rainwater. As a result, Count Dietrich III of Manderscheid-Blankenheim had a water supply tunnel excavated in 1469. The water from the spring In der Rhenn was thereby diverted from about a kilometre away and led to the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Just Hemelaar (6 years ago)
The perfect place to spend your holiday. A great view, many more private facilities than you might expect and very friendly people. I don’t like staying at the same place more than once but i have been at the castle twice and would love to stay there again.

Will (6 years ago)
I was not inside of the castle or stayed there, I am talking about the walk and sights of the castle as you make your way up from the village. The castle and town are a nice late medieval style with narrow streets and many old "fachwerk" houses some still with the original builders family Crest on it The view from the way up to and from the castle walls are quite nice down into the Ahr river valley and onto the lake.

M. S. (6 years ago)
Ok

Gints Kļaviņš (7 years ago)
Here the river Ahr begins. Beautiful town

Alexander Theunissen (7 years ago)
It was incredible. Near at the hostel ja a great Tower, there is a great Party every night

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Sigmaringen Castle

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.

Blankenheim Castle

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