Electoral Castle

Eltville, Germany

The Electoral Castle is Eltville's landmark and was built in 1330 by Balduin von Trier on the ruins of a castle destroyed during the Tariff Wars ('Zollkriege'). Construction was completed in 1350 by Heinrich von Virneburg. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the castle was the residence of the archbishops and electors of Mainz. In 1635, the entire property, except for the living tower (“Wohnturm”), was destroyed by Swedish troops. Only the east wing was rebuilt in modified form in 1682/83.

The Gutenberg exhibition in the tower pays tribute to the famous inventor of letterpress printing, who was officially honored here in 1465, the only time during his life. Today it invites visitors to wander through the courtyard, castle moat, and beautiful rose garden.

Many festivals und cultural events take place here throughout the year. The castle can be rented as a unique location for your private events such as weddings and family celebrations as well as for business meetings and seminars etc.

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Address

Burgstraße 1, Eltville, Germany
See all sites in Eltville

Details

Founded: 1330
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

www.eltville.de

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Eberbach Abbey (5,9 km)
Burgkirche (8 km)


Mainz Cathedral (11,2 km)
Marksburg Castle (43,5 km)
Worms Cathedral (47,1 km)
St. Peters Church (25,6 km)
Werner Chapel Ruins (25,7 km)
Limburg Cathedral (40,7 km)
St. Augustine's Church (11,3 km)
St. Stephen’s Church (10,9 km)
Niederwalddenkmal (16,7 km)

User Reviews

bronwyn fabrie (5 months ago)
Really pleasant historical place to enjoy along the Rhine!
George (7 months ago)
Visited this place in winter and it could be nicer
Paul Maritz (7 months ago)
The gardens in spring and summer are beautiful!!
Leonardo Campos de Melo (10 months ago)
The place has beautiful gardens, and a lot of dolls. It's not bad, but not cool either. Would recommend only if you have spare time.
Ria Margari (13 months ago)
Splendid! I always visit the tower since it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the view.
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Steinvikholm Castle

Steinvikholm Castle is an island fortress built between 1525 to 1532 by Norway's last Catholic archbishop, Olav Engelbrektsson. Steinvikholm castle became the most powerful fortification by the time it was built, and it is the largest construction raised in the Norwegian Middle Ages.

The castle occupies about half of the land on the rocky island. The absence of a spring meant that fresh water had to be brought from the mainland. A wooden bridge served as the only way to the island other than boat. Although the castle design was common across Europe in 1525, its medieval design was becoming obsolete because of the improved siege firepower offered by gunpowder and cannons.

The castle was constructed after Olav Engelbrektsson returned from a meeting with the Pope in Rome, presumably in anticipation of impending military-religious conflict. As Archbishop Engelbrektsson's resistance to the encroachment of Danish rule escalated, first with Frederick I of Denmark and his successor Christian III of Denmark, Steinvikholm Castle and Nidarholm Abbey became the Catholic Church's military strongholds in Norway. In April 1537, the Danish-Norwegian Reformation succeeded in driving the archbishop from the castle into exile in Lier in the Netherlands (now in Belgium), where he died on 7 February 1538. At the castle the archbishop left behind St. Olav's shrine and other treasures from Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim). The original coffin containing St. Olav's body remained at Steinvikholm until it was returned to Nidaros Cathedral in 1564. Since 1568 St. Olav's grave in Nidaros has been unknown.

From the 17th to 19th century, the island was used as a quarry and some of its masonry was sold and removed from the site. This activity was condoned by the Danish-Norwegian authorities as a way of eliminating a monument to the opposition of the Danish–Norwegian Union.

Steinvikholm fort is owned and operated today by The society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments. The island has been the site of the midnight opera which details the life and struggles of the archbishop. The opera is held in August annually. The opera is organized by Steinvikholm Musikkteater since the beginning in 1993.

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