Odenhausen Castle

Wachtberg, Germany

Odenhausen Castle was first built in the 11th century on the hill. In the Middle Ages, the fortification was expanded into a moated water castle. The castle was first mentioned in 1316. In 1560 Ludwig von Blankart converted it into a Renaissance residence.

A bridge leads across the outer moat through a Baroque gate into the farmhouse and an another bridge leads over the moat to the two-winged mansion. The portal is decorated by a coat of arms.

Since 2005, the castle is owned by the Vieten couple.

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Address

Oberdorfstraße 46, Wachtberg, Germany
See all sites in Wachtberg

Details

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

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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St. Andrew's Church (37 km)
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Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (36,5 km)
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Deutsches Eck (44,7 km)
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (45,2 km)

User Reviews

Wanders Mann (2 years ago)
Tolles Fotomotiv.
Norman Müller (3 years ago)
Die Burg ist zwar sehr schön, aber in Privatbesitz. Man kann nicht einfach so auf den Hof, oder die Burg besichtigen. Auch um die Burg herum laufen geht nicht, da kein Weg vorhanden. Daher finde ich die Beschreibung "Sehenswürdigkeit" als absolut fehl am Platz.
Matthias Quecke (3 years ago)
Eine wunderschöne, wunderschöne Burg. Ein wenig versteckt aber dennoch relativ leicht zu finden.
w. wozniak (3 years ago)
Im Rahmen einer Führung kennen gelernt. Die Familie hat uns geführt. Sehr nette Menschen die Familie Vieten. Danke
Johannes Soares Lago Goertz (3 years ago)
Eine exzellente, tolle Wasserburg, deren Außenanlage wir uns angeschaut haben. Das ist etwas für einen ruhigen, kleinen Ausflug. Parkplatz muss man schauen, und wenn der Imbiss geschlossen ist, weiß ich auch nicht, wo eine Toilette ist. Das muss man berücksichtigen, wenn man dort hinfährt. Aber ist lohnenswert.
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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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