Urspelt Castle (

Luxembourgish Luxembourgish ( ; also ''Luxemburgish'', ''Luxembourgian'', ''Letzebu(e)rgesch''; ) is a West Germanic language that is spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 400,000 people speak Luxembourgish worldwide. The language is standardized and officiall ...

: ''Schlass Ischpelt''; ) is located in the village of Urspelt some 3 km (2 mi) north-east of

Clervaux Clervaux (; or locally ; ) is a commune and town in northern Luxembourg, situated in the canton of the same name. The town's arms, granted in 1896, show three blackbirds on a gold ground in the chief of a red shield, as a variation of the a ...

in northern

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 ...

. Though the castle has a history going back at least three centuries, today's building dates from 1860. After comprehensive restoration work and additions, it recently opened as a hotel and resort."Le Château d’Urspelt"
''Wunnen'', 23 January 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2011.

History

The origin of the current castle dates back over 300 years, when it was built on the vestiges of a building dating back to the 13th century. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the castle was by turn a command post and a field hospital, thus undergoing many and very extensive damages. The Germans used the castle as their headquarters for northern Luxembourg until they were forced to abandon it to the Americans during the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

in the winter of 1944. It was a command post of Lieutenant Colonel

Donald Paul Donald R. Paul is an American materials scientist and engineer currently the Ernest Cockrell Sr. Chair in Engineering at University of Texas at Austin. His interests are polymer engineering, biomaterials and membranes. An expert in his field, he was ...

, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry. Abandoned on the liberation of Luxembourg, the castle disappeared little by little in an engulfing vegetation as well as in the memory of the inhabitants. In August 2005, Freddy Lodomez, a passionate entrepreneur, literally fell in love and decided to fully restore this significant building heritage of Luxembourg. The restoration work will last 3 long years during which hundred of artisans will work tirelessly to restore the castle to its yesteryear’s glory and beauty. An old well, apparently dating back to an 11th-century stronghold, was found and renovated.

The castle today

The present castle started officially in October 2008, after the official classification as “a National Monument of Luxembourg” by the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Constantly evolving, the Urspelt Castle was notably expanded in 2016 with the addition of a 1800 m² wing, responding to the major demand for this unique hotel project."Meeting Point Luxembourg"
''Ministère des Classes moyennes et du Tourisme'', 2011, p. 45. Retrieved 1 April 2011. The "Castle" itself is the residential part of the site. On three levels, it houses 57 luxuriously appointed 4-star superior rooms and suites, a beautifully decorated Grand-Ducale Suite, a NUXE® Spa wellness area and a private area for a duo escape, and finally two fully equipped seminar rooms. The U-Lounge Bar has also been created in the historic cellars, by manually digging the original basement of the Château. During this work, a second well was discovered and exposed. The Château is connected by a monumental portico to the "Ancienne ferme", which houses the culinary area with a splendid gastronomy area, recently renovated and fitted out in the old barn. The exterior spaces consist of the large central paved courtyard, a beautiful park with fountain, an orchard and a private car park with 120 spaces. A heated & covered patio is also installed along the historic walls, overlooked by a terrace with spa & heated pool.

References

{{coord, 50, 04, 28, N, 6, 02, 43, E, display=title Clervaux Castles in Luxembourg Convention centres in Luxembourg Hotels in Luxembourg Castles in the Ardennes (Luxembourg) Castles in the Eifel