Altena Castle

Altena, Germany

Altena Castle was erected by the brothers Adolf and Everhard von Berg around the year 1108 after Henry V granted them land in Sauerland. On Wulfseck Mountain they built their castle, which they named Wulfeshagen, later Altena. This is one of the three legends of the establishment of the county of Altena and the building of the castle.

After the acquisition of Mark near the city of Hamm in 1198, the counts of Altena took Mark Castle as their primary residence and called themselves the Counts of the Mark. They occasionally inhabited Altena Castle and from 1392 onward it was used as a residence for the county bailiff (Amtmann).

In 1912, Richard Schirrmann established the world's first youth hostel within the castle, which is still in use today (Jugendherberge Burg Altena).

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Burgweg 9, Altena, Germany

See all sites in Altena

Details

Founded: 1108
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Salian Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Yasmine A. (5 months ago)
Beautiful castle, worth the money. More than enough to see. There are many stairs and small “hallways” so keep that in mind while visiting, but definitely worth the experience ?

Gaurav Kulkarni (7 months ago)
Nice Historic Places to visit, lots of old History open inside this place, good audio guidance for each room, there 28 rooms with lots of Equipment, tools, picture?️, etc.

Adrijana Pinjusic (10 months ago)
Such a great place in the heart of Ruhr area. A great way to spend Sunday with your family. I am just amazed at how well everything is preserved and authentic.

Larisa Conchi (12 months ago)
the castle is very beautiful and the entrance is accessible to everyone, but all the exhibits are only described in German, it would be very good if they were also in English for tourists!

Glodan Mircea (14 months ago)
No words to describe the beauty of this castle. So well preserved and with acces to most of the rooms... Also the access to the elevator from the tunnel is simply amazing. The elevator was 4.9 Euro per person,but worth every scent.

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Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.

The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.