Vischering Castle, Lüdinghausen, Germany

Vischering Castle is a typical moated castle in the Münster region. It consists of outer defensive courtyard, defensive gateways, moat, drawbridge, main building and chapel. The sandstone walls, the red tile roofs as well as their reflection in the moat provide many harmonious views from the wooded surroundings.

Vischering Castle was built by Bischop Gerhard von der Mark. It became the seat of the Vischering Family. The moat is constantly replenished by a side-arm of the River Stever. The outer defensive courtyard contains the business and farm buildings. The main building is a horseshoe-shaped three-story structure with heavy outer wall. Its inner courtyard is closed off by the chapel and a lower defense wall. A castle keep is missing, having been removed during Renaissance renovations. Fire destroyed the castle in 1521. Rebuilding took place on the existing foundation. Windows and the addition of a large bay made the castle more liveable but diminished its defensive character. The whole site however retains the character of a feudal age moated castle. Damage from air attack during World War II was minor.

Vischering Castle houses the Münsterlandmuseum, an exhibit on knighthood for children, as well as a cafe-restaurant. It serves as a cultural center for Kreis Coesfeld. Visiting hours are provided in the first link below. Viewing the outside is possible at all times. The second link provides a more detailed chronology of the castle in German .

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Stephen de Man (3 years ago)
A true moated castle with a fascinating history. Don’t miss the bakery, bring 5€ for a loaf of fresh bread. Inside the castle is a well done display of the history over three levels. The basement is great for kids - and there is a projected map display that is a must to see. The second level has the history of the castle with some interesting stories one including a iron collar that was fixed to the owner. They do a great job telling the story. Make sure to check out the bed display as well. Everything is in German and English and very well done.

Liv Makish (3 years ago)
Very beautiful but quite small. The shop wasn't open when we went (around 6 pm). We enjoyed the nice weather on the chairs there.

Klinik Psikolog Ömer Faruk Kutluoğlu (3 years ago)
Such a great and historical place to visit. It is open to visit even on sunday and has great nature. At the same time there is great cafe and bakery near the castle to hang out.

Istvan Raduly (3 years ago)
You can see a wonderful place where the Castle around water. The good thing if you are hungry, you can eat a fresh old fashioned bakery stuff, or if you like cakes, you can eat fine Paleo cakes.

Mike Harms (3 years ago)
Beautiful ancient castle (Wasserschloss) with a moat and a drawbridge, and a colorful Westfalian history. Great museum inside which has info on all the local castles and learning rooms, old weapons and coins and furniture. Really well preserved castle. A great example of the local type. Also very accessible for wheelchairs, they installed a lot of access devices. Bakery attached, a small cafe, and an art exhibit in the outer courtyard.

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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.

Vischering Castle

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