Wildenburg castle was built between 1202 and 1235 and is one of the few hill castles in the Eifel that has not been destroyed by war or demolition. It was the centre of gravity of a territorial lordship that extended in the west as far as the present border with Belgium and in the east reached the gates of Steinfeld Abbey.
Originally the castle and the village of Wildenburg were separated by a ditch and drawbridge. Today the ditch has been filled in and the drawbridge has disappeared. The castle itself comprises a main and forecastle. The most striking parts of the castle are undoubtedly the towers: the tall tower over the hall, the tower above the gate in the forecastle and the large square tower. The identification of the above towers is difficult, because all the towers visible today are round. The large fortified tower at the southwest corner was probably square at first, but was then reinforced against cannon-fire and rounded off. The so-called tall tower over the hall is today called the Johannisburg. It was bought by Steinfeld Abbey in 1715 and the old inner Palas was converted into a church, in which many wooden sculptures from various centuries are on display. The former staircase-tower became a bell-tower, around which are the gatekeeper's house, the witches' tower and the half-timbered houses of the village.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.