Harburg Castle

Harburg, Germany

Harburg Castle is one of the jewels of the German Romantic Road. Wonderfully preserved, the castle sits high on a hill and overlooks the town for which it's named. It is unclear when the first structure was erected, but the castle was first mentioned in a document in 1150. Harburg was built by the former Hohenstaufen emperors of Germany in the 11th or 12th century.

In 1295, the castle was transferred to the Count of Oettingen and it has belonged to the Oettingen, and later the Oettingen-Wallerstein, families ever since.

The castle complex, including the castle house, chapel, sentry walk, prison tower, dungeon, and various buildings used to support the inhabitants, is surrounded by a wall supporting six towers. The castle ballroom is pictured at left. In the center of the complex is a large courtyard with a well.

The present-day fortifications mainly date from the 18th century and can be visited in summer from Tuesday to Sunday. There is also a small hotel-restaurant in the castle.

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Address

B25, Harburg, Germany
See all sites in Harburg

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Salian Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

www.thespeedyturtle.com
www.ireg.de
www.romanticroadgermany.com

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Augsburg Town Hall (48,8 km)
St. Peter am Perlach Church (48,8 km)
St. George's Church (16,2 km)
St. George's Minster (41,5 km)
Fuggerhäuser (49,1 km)
Eichstätt Cathedral (38,2 km)
Augsburg Cathedral (48,3 km)
Fuggerei (48,9 km)
St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey (49,6 km)

User Reviews

thomse red (4 years ago)
Spacious parking, 3€ adult entry and another 4€ for the tour of the castle which is really informative.
Michael Barnes (5 years ago)
Beautiful castle along the road that makes for a wonderful detour. Worth a stop yo enjoy the very well preserved buildings and grounds with an excellent view over the valley.
alicia moraa (5 years ago)
Harburg Castle is the best place to visit while in Germany. So many Historical features since 1000yrs ago or more.... Look out for few pics to motivate you more
No Luck (5 years ago)
Went here on a tour and loved it all!! There is a painting at the end of the tour on the ceiling that gives an incredible optical illusion from one way she is laying down and walk across the room she will be sitting!! Beautiful original castle with deep stories behind it all.
Ben Bradley (5 years ago)
Interesting castle you will find there, walk around and in it, entrance fee to pay. Expect a nice little garden, a high placed sightseeing point, wonderful church, a little gift warehouse, and a inside the castle placed restaurant that I can't really recommend. Long waiting time to get some, price kind high. What I don't like, they allow motorcycles to drive inside the court of the castle. U get awful loud motor sound and stinky gas. Walking around the castle is impressive but all over very dirty.
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Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians. The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.

The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.

From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace. From 1479, the Counts of Foix became Kings of Navarre and the last of them, made Henri IV of France, annexed his Pyrrenean lands to France.

As seat of the Governor of the Foix region from the 15th century, the castle continued to ensure the defence of the area, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Richelieu (1632-1638).

Until the Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison. Its life was brightened with grand receptions for its governors, including the Count of Tréville, captain of musketeers under Louis XIII and Marshal Philippe Henri de Ségur, one of Louis XVI's ministers. The Round Tower, built in the 15th century, is the most recent, the two square towers having been built before the 11th century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.

Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.

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