One of Germany's best-preserved castles is Trendelburg
Castle in the Wester Mountains near Kassel. Chartered in 1301, the same year as the
town that surrounds it, Trendelburg historically has held a strategic position, dominating
important trade roads from Frankfurt to Kassel and Hamburg.
This picturesque 14th-century knight's castle perches on a hilltop in
the Rheinhardswald forest. The town grew up roughly within the same area covered by its ancient
walls today.
The Trendelburg fortress, separated from
the town by a deep ditch cut into the rocks, has weathered fires, reconstructions,
reinforcements, plagues, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and the Seven Years' War (1756 to
1763). It has been pillaged, pawned and pulverized in various eras.
The original castle was built just before its chartering in 1301, by
Konrad III of Schoeneberg. Through the years it was called Trindirberg, Drendenburg,
Dreyndeneberch, Drenderburg, Drendelburg and Trendelburgk. Romans probably camped here; the
region paid homage to Charlemagne and fell under the influence of the Carolingians.
Throughout much of Trendelburg Castle's
history it has been connected with the Stockhausen family, which today runs the castle as a
hotel and restaurant. Martin Luther, whose family was related to the Stockhausens, once stayed
here. French and English troops once made it their barracks, as did GIs during World War
II.
Trendelburg
Castle Map&Location
Address: Steinweg 1, 34388 Trendelburg, Germany. Get help with
directions:
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Trendelburg Castle Photos
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