Ippenburg Castle
Description
Ippenburg is a neo-Gothic aristocratic residence located in Lockhausen, a district of Bad Essen in Lower Saxony, Germany. The site was first mentioned in 1345 as “castrum Ybbenborg.” Ownership passed to the von dem Bussche family before 1390, and they have maintained it for over 600 years. The original medieval castle was rebuilt and expanded several times, including a baroque manor house after the Thirty Years' War, which was later demolished due to structural issues.
Between 1862 and 1867, Count Wilhelm von dem Bussche constructed the current neo-Gothic castle with over 100 rooms using Ibbenbüren sandstone. It underwent major renovations in the 1930s, 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s, preserving its historic character while modernizing its facilities.
The surrounding park evolved from a utilitarian medieval landscape into a baroque garden and later into an English-style landscape garden in the 19th century. In recent decades, the park was revitalized with features like Germany’s largest kitchen garden, a poetic forest island, and a rose garden designed by renowned landscape architects. From 1998 to 2019, Schloss Ippenburg hosted popular garden festivals. Since 2021, the 60,000-square-meter grounds have been open to the public on weekends and holidays, now featuring a barefoot path and a water playground.