Saarburg Castle

Saarburg Castle, locally known as Burg Saarburg, lies in the town of the same name, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany.

Saarburg Castle, built by Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes and founder of the House of Ardennes-Luxembourg, was first mentioned in 964 A.D. It is considered to be one of the oldest hilltop castles in southwest Germany.

Situated on a hill next to the confluence of the River Saar and the smaller Leukbach stream, it became an important fortress in the hands of the Archbishops of Cologne. In the early 12th century the castle was enlarged and it was rebuilt in the late 13th century. In the 14th century the castle became a favored residence of the Bishops of Trier.

In 1552 Saarburg Castle was burned down by the troops of Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, who was plundering the region. It was restored later that same century. During the 17th century the castle was taken and occupied by French troops several times, who also modernized its defenses. The French finally blew up the castle in 1705 and by 1756 it was a complete ruin.

At present Saarburg Castle is freely accessible. What remains today is mainly the round keep, closely protected by a shield wall. There is a restaurant in a rebuilt building on the bailey. A very nice castle, the views of the surrounding lands from the top of the keep are great.

Gallery