Ahrensburg Castle

Ahrensburg, Germany

The Ahrensburg village came into the possession of the Cistercian Reinfeld Abbey in 1327. After the dissolution of the monasteries due to the Reformation, the whole area came into the possession of the king of Denmark. He rewarded his general Daniel Rantzau 1567 with lordship over these villages. His brother and heir Peter Rantzau built a Renaissance residence in the form of a water castle, now the symbol of the town, and the castle church around 1595. The new schloss buildings were made with parts of the torn-down mansion, on a rectangular island surrounded by a defensive moat. The following year, the chapel was completed. It was modelled on Schloss Glücksburg, built a few years earlier. Four octagonal towers were added later with copper-covered torn heads and lanterns.

The Rantzaus' estate was heavily indebted by the middle of the 18th century and, in 1759, was acquired by the businessman Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann. Schimmelmann remodelled the castle and village in the baroque style and the current layout of the town reflects these plans.

Historians in Germany consider the building one of Schleswig-Holstein's best-known Renaissance buildings and attractions. Open to the public, it is surrounded by an English park, a chapel, a watermill and a museum.

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Address

Lübecker Straße 1, Ahrensburg, Germany
See all sites in Ahrensburg

Details

Founded: 1595
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Reformation & Wars of Religion (Germany)

More Information

www.schloss-ahrensburg.de
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Hamburg Town Hall (21,8 km)
St. Michael's Church (22,6 km)
Hanseatic City of Lübeck (35,8 km)
Town Hall (35,9 km)
St. Mary's Church (35,9 km)
St. James' Church (21,4 km)
St. Nicholas' Church (22,1 km)
St. Peter's Church (35,7 km)
Internationales Maritimes Museum (22 km)

User Reviews

Pavel Lytaev (8 months ago)
if you fing big german cities a bit disappointing in the sense of lacking the authenticity, you might find some relatively obscure towns like Ahrensburg surprisingly pleasant, as they may be built around the magnificent manors of renaissance era
Ahmed Saher Manna (12 months ago)
Interested place to visit, here is my shot from my drone
Maxie Liedicke (12 months ago)
Very beautiful and Interesting. It is a must see.
Alexander Galkin (12 months ago)
Nice views, but entrance is overpriced, so we just kept it to the gardens. Parking can be challenging. Meal and toilet options are very limited, many paths are closed for maintenance.
Alexander Karnowski (12 months ago)
Beautiful 400 years old palace. Great to see with family.
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The village which stands next to the ruins today, is now known as New Abbey. At the other end of the main street is Monksmill, a corn mill. Although the present buildings date from the late eighteenth century, there was an earlier mill built by and for the monks of the abbey which serviced the surrounding farms.

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