Larochette Castle Ruins, Larochette, Luxembourg

Larochette Castle stands high above the town of Larochette. Dating from the 11th century, the castle was destroyed by fire at the end of the 16th century. The earliest references to the castle are from the end of the 11th century and during the 12th century when the lords of Larochette were flag bearers for the counts of Luxembourg. The family proliferated leading to the construction of the five stately houses which are separate from the main structure. They include the Homburg Manor (1350) and the Créhange Manor (1385) both of which have now been restored. The Verlorenkost (literally Lost Food) watchtower also stands alone on the south side. The legend goes that the cook was carrying pots full of food when she stumbled, breaking everything.

Since its acquisition by the State of Luxembourg in 1979, some restoration work has been undertaken. The castle is open to the public in summer season.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Olaf chalmer (2 years ago)
Beautiful ruin, a must see and the town is famous for its thermal!

Tim Lord (3 years ago)
Amazing time with the family, the view is breathtaking and well worth seeing if you are in the area. The road towards the castle is one car only with a few passing places en route - a bit tricky if you are in a motorhome like we were! When you are there though, make sure you explore fully as there are lots of hidden areas that are just off the main track. Everything is very safe so no issues with the height! Well worth getting a picture of the castle from the town below so you can see it at scale! You can drive down or there is a walking path to the left of the castle entrance.

gigasvenom (3 years ago)
Interesting place to visit. The ruins of the castle sit atop a huge rockface and it's a fair hike up to there from either Larochette or via the woodland behind the castle. We managed it with our 3 young kids plus a buggy and rucksack of supplies. All areas are accessible and the views over Larochette and beyond are impressive. There remains an empty well within the ruins, which must be at least 20 metres deep. Rooms consist of old works of art, depicting scenes of life in the castle. There is a small gift shop, selling ice cream and, possibly, drinks. Gardens are well kept and there is the option to sit and relax there. If you like history, definitely visit here; even if not, it's an interesting site and keeps the kids occupied. We spent about an hour exploring the grounds.

Phil Sylvester (3 years ago)
Had a very nice visit to the castle on our drive through Luxembourg. It was an easy walk up from city center and the ruins from the 1300s were remarkable. There’s even a cafe selling drinks and snacks, and during our visit an art exhibition in the remaining manor that is still standing.

Yassen Todorov (3 years ago)
A real nice view and walk. Choose a sunny spring day, and be rewarded with a green serene view of he ruins, and a part of the building shown the medieval way of living. Walk through the ruins, take a stroll to the town, or simply enjoy a coffee at the castle. This is one of my favourite destinations in Luxembourg

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Varvara_R

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Trinity Sergius Lavra

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and a popular site of pilgrimage and tourism. It is the most important working Russian monastery and a residence of the Patriarch. This religious and military complex represents an epitome of the growth of Russian architecture and contains some of that architecture’s finest expressions. It exerted a profound influence on architecture in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, was founded in 1337 by the monk Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius achieved great prestige as the spiritual adviser of Dmitri Donskoi, Great Prince of Moscow, who received his blessing to the battle of Kulikov of 1380. The monastery started as a little wooden church on Makovets Hill, and then developed and grew stronger through the ages.

Over the centuries a unique ensemble of more than 50 buildings and constructions of different dates were established. The whole complex was erected according to the architectural concept of the main church, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), where the relics of St. Sergius may be seen.

In 1476 Pskovian masters built a brick belfry east of the cathedral dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The church combines unique features of early Muscovite and Pskovian architecture. A remarkable feature of this church is a bell tower under its dome without internal interconnection between the belfry and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, echoing the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin, was erected between 1559 and 1585. The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral were painted in 1684. At the north-western corner of the Cathedral, on the site of the western porch, in 1780 a vault containing burials of Tsar Boris Godunov and his family was built.

In the 16th century the monastery was surrounded by 6 meters high and 3,5 meters thick defensive walls, which proved their worth during the 16-month siege by Polish-Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Trouble. They were later strengthened and expanded.

After the Upheaval of the 17th century a large-scale building programme was launched. At this time new buildings were erected in the north-western part of the monastery, including infirmaries topped with a tented church dedicated to Saints Zosima and Sawatiy of Solovki (1635-1637). Few such churches are still preserved, so this tented church with a unique tiled roof is an important contribution to the Lavra.

In the late 17th century a number of new buildings in Naryshkin (Moscow) Baroque style were added to the monastery.

Following a devastating fire in 1746, when most of the wooden buildings and structures were destroyed, a major reconstruction campaign was launched, during which the appearance of many of the buildings was changed to a more monumental style. At this time one of the tallest Russian belfries (88 meters high) was built.

In the late 18th century, when many church lands were secularized, the chaotic planning of the settlements and suburbs around the monastery was replaced by a regular layout of the streets and quarters. The town of Sergiev Posad was surrounded by traditional ramparts and walls. In the vicinity of the monastery a number of buildings belonging to it were erected: a stable yard, hotels, a hospice, a poorhouse, as well as guest and merchant houses. Major highways leading to the monastery were straightened and marked by establishing entry squares, the overall urban development being oriented towards the centrepiece - the Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra.

In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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