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

Jürgen Wolf (2 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 (2 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 (4 years ago)
Entrance is impossible

baroel feza (5 years ago)
Not so much to see, but nice for walking

Mohammed Abdelgadir (5 years ago)
I couldn't enter

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Robert Anders

Historic Site of the week

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.

The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Hardtburg Castle

Address

Details

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Gothic Cathedrals of Belgium

Migthy Cathar Castles

Hidden Gems of Finnish Archipelago

Historic Site of the week

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Looks like you are a history fan!