Hardtburg Castle, Euskirchen, Germany

Hardtburg Castle, situated 245 metres above sea-level in the Hardtwald forest, is a very unusual castle, compared with other castles and farms. It was founded in the 11th century, which makes it one of the oldest local buildings. The two-part castle is surrounded on all sides by a moat and is situated at some distance from the nearest town. At the centre of the main castle is a hill excavated from the side of the valley, on which a square stone tower has always stood.

Today it retains the character of a medieval moated castle, as it has not been altered since its completion in the 14th century. Originally it belonged to the Earl of Are-Hochstaden; after his decease his last descendant, Earl Konrad von Hochstaden, Archbishop of Cologne, inherited the estate. Since the 17th it has progressively fallen into disrepair, due to lack of maintenance. Towards the end of the 18th century ownership was transferred to the Finance Ministry of France; around 1815 the State of Prussia established a forestry office here.

Today it belongs to the State of North Rhine/Westphalia and serves as the residence of the Hardtwald Forester.

References:

Kreis Euskirchen

User Reviews

R. Brings (2 years ago)
Beautiful castle worth a visit, especially on autumn days. Unfortunately, you can no longer walk to the castle keep, which used to be possible. The paths around the castle look good and there is free parking nearby and lots of nice seating in the middle of the forest.

Jürgen Wolf (3 years ago)
Magnificent castle ruins in the middle of the forest. Unfortunately, the ruin is currently being renovated and cannot be entered. But in the surrounding forest you can walk wonderfully.

Frau SausE (3 years ago)
Super nice area to go for a walk. A small parking lot is available nearby. In principle, you can walk around the castle once, the route is not long and can be done even with small children. The castle itself can only be entered during events. But I think it is a nice destination when the weather is good. Information about the castle can be found on the signs that can also be found around the castle.

Mikhail I (5 years ago)
Entrance is impossible

baroel feza (6 years ago)
Not so much to see, but nice for walking

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

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