Linn Castle

Krefeld, Germany

The oldest fortress on the Lower Rhine is located in the historic Krefeld suburb of Linn. The former country castle belonging to the Electorate of Cologne has its origins around 1200. It was badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War of 1704.

The beautiful water castle is well preserved and includes a bailey, hunting lodge and tithe barn. In the accompanying Landscape Museum it is possible to view excavation finds from the days of Roman rule in the 5th century and the time of the Frankish princes. The special items included in the exhibition are the gilded articles buried along with the princes in the largest continuous and well-preserved burial site in Gellep-Stratum.

A further attraction is the mediaeval barge from the time of Charles the Great. Concerts and readings are regularly held in the great hall of Linn Castle. The castle grounds, including the surrounding park, provide an impressive backdrop for events of all kinds.

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Address

Albert-Steeger-Straße 19B, Krefeld, Germany
See all sites in Krefeld

Details

Founded: c. 1200
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

www.krefeld.de

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Cologne Cathedral (49,1 km)
Romano-Germanic Museum (49,1 km)
Arcen Castle (34,8 km)
St. Andrew's Church (48,9 km)
Great St. Martin Church (49,4 km)
Schlossturm (15,1 km)
Broich Castle (19,5 km)
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (49,4 km)
St. Lambertus Church (15 km)

User Reviews

Aleh Stasiukevich (2 years ago)
Pretty nice place
matt higgins (3 years ago)
Great to walk around and see the buildings. You should plan on three to four hours to see it all and the little village right next to it. I wish they had windows that opened to see the fire department area they had .
Fabiola GPH (3 years ago)
Really nice place to visit, interesting story about the place and definitely if you’re looking for a venue for a wedding or any event, this is the right place.
Frank Wils (3 years ago)
Small museum in the newer castle administration house. Gives a good impression of the history and customs of the castle and surrounding lands.
Bernice Burger (3 years ago)
The Burg Linn is a beautiful place to enjoy some nature and see History retold, through the construction of the 14th Century castle.
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Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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