Hilgartsberg Castle, Hofkirchen, Germany

Hilgartsberg Castle lies on a mountain on the left bank of the Donau River. It was first mentioned in 1112. It was a fief of the Bishop of Bamberg and cared for by the Counts of Sulzbach. When the counts died out in 1188 the castle fell to a couple of sons of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor. They lent it out to Walchunus von Kamm.

In 1326 the castle came into the hands of the House of Eck. When Peter Ecker von Eck fell out of favor with Duke Albrecht I of Bavaria, the castle was besieged and conquered by the Duke in 1357. Albrecht then strengthened the castle and installed a castellan. Later it was lent out to several nobles. In 1617 it was used by the Fugger family, who considerably enlarged the castle after a big fire had damaged it in 1626.

In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Hilgartsberg Castle was occupied by Austrian troops. In 1742, during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Austrian troops returned and with help of Hungarian troops conquered and burned down the castle. After that it was a ruin and was never rebuilt.

Later the ruins were owned by a local brewer and the Bavarian State. And in the 1970s part of it served as the village school. At present Hilgartsberg Castle can freely be visited. It is used as a venue for cultural events.

References:

castles.nl

Kakesbeck Castle

Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.

The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.

pp4mnk puppy (2 years ago)
Amazing photos

Arun Jeevaraj (2 years ago)
It was ok. A beautiful place, a ruined Fort at the top of the hill. Could be relevant for archeology.

Rado O (3 years ago)
Ok

Alex Vasilyev (4 years ago)
Great view.

Crap Com (7 years ago)
Interesting place and a great view.

Hilgartsberg Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Kakesbeck Castle