Bertrada Castle

Bertrada Castle, locally known as the Bertradaburg or Burg Mürlenbach, lies above the village of Mürlenbach, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany.

Tradition has it that the first fortification in Mürlenbach was a Roman castellum which protected a stretch of the nearby Roman road; the Via Agrippa. Also in the 8th century there may have been a fortification here. The first mention of an estate in Mürlenbach was in 1103. This estate was owned by the Prüm Abbey. The foundation of the present castle probably took place at the end of the 13th century under the abbot Heinrich von Prüm. The first mention of Bertrada Castle was in 1331.

Probably the name Bertrada was given to the castle because tradition had it that the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was born here in the 8th century. Bertrada was the name of his mother.

The Archdiocese of Trier had been enlarging its territory aggressively since the 13th century. As Bertrada Castle served as a stronghold for the Prüm Abbey, they strengthened the defenses of the castle during the 16th century to protect their assets against the Archdiocese. Two roundels with 5-meter thick walls were added to the castle. When in the late 16th century the Archdiocese and the abbey merged, this strengthening continued. A few years later however the castle had fallen into disrepair.

In 1804 the area was occupied by the French and Bertrada Castle became national property and was put up for sale. After it had been sold it was used as a residence. Later the buildings in the courtyard were part of a brewery. In the 1980s restoration and consolidation works started which are still ongoing.

At present Bertrada Castle is private property. It can be visited on appointment. Also the buildings in the courtyard are rented out as holiday homes. A very nice castle.

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