Bourscheid Castle (, , ) is located near the village of Bourscheid in north-eastern

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

. The medieval castle stands on a site with archeological evidence of structures dating back to

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. Standing majestically some 150 metres (490 ft) above the River Sûre, it is enclosed by a circular wall with 11 watchtowers."Bourscheid Castle"
, ''Luxembourg Tourist Office, London''. Retrieved 9 March 2011.

History

Although first mentioned in records from 1095, the castle appears to have been built around the year 1000 on earlier foundations, in what was then the

County of Luxemburg The County of Luxembourg (; ) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It arose from medieval '' Lucilinburhuc'' ("Little Fortress") Castle in the present-day City of Luxembourg, purchased by Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes in 963. His descen ...

, part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. It was extended on several occasions: the outer wall dates from 1350, the Stolzembourg house from 1384, and the courtyard from 1477. Behind the gateway from the end of the 15th century, a ditch protected by four towers barred access to the upper and lower castles. The southern and eastern towers are from 1498 and the artillery bastions were built in the 16th century. The extension of the upper part of the castle took place in the 15th century while the great fireplace and tall chimney were completed about a hundred years later. After 1626 it was owned by the

House of Metternich The House of Metternich was an old German nobility, German noble family originating in the Rhineland. The most prominent member was Prince Klemens von Metternich, who was the dominant figure at the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815). As a former re ...

, before the French Revolution put an end to their feudal power. Schenk von Schmidtburg, who acquired the castle at the end of the 18th century, undertook some repair work but was unable to prevent further degradation. In the 19th century, after the chapel collapsed, there was talk of demolishing the building. However, in 1936 it became a listed site and in 1972, with the encouragement of an association called the Friends of the Castle of Bourscheid, the State acquired the building and undertook extensive repairs. As a result of restoration work, the castle is now fully accessible to visitors, but remains a predominantly open-air ruin. An audio tour is available in Luxembourgish, German, French, Dutch, and English. Publication of the Bourscheid historical archives has provided details of the castle and its former inhabitants.

Visiting times

The castle is open to visitors all the year round: 1 April to 15 October from 9.30 am to 6 pm and 16 October to 31 March from 11 am to 4 pm."Le Château de Bourscheid"
''Association des châteaux''. Retrieved 10 March 2011. Full-price admission to the castle costs seven euros, with discount prices available for adults, students, and children. Admission includes an audio-guide. Audio guides are not available for guests who arrive within 90 minutes of closing.

References

{{coord, 49, 54, 19, N, 6, 04, 47, E, display=title, region:LU_type:landmark_source:dewiki Bourscheid, Luxembourg Castles in Luxembourg Tourist attractions in Luxembourg Convention centres in Luxembourg Castles in the Ardennes (Luxembourg) Castles in the Eifel

History

Visiting times

See also

References