Levenburg Castle. History of an ancient castle in Germany. Fake ruins of Lion's castle

Castle Waldeck, located in the German city of Waldeck, in the heart of the country, was built in 1270 by order of Count Adolf von Waldeck from gray stone in the Renaissance style. The location was excellent: in a recreation area on the Edersee lake, on a high hill, which offers a beautiful view of the Edersee National Park.

Since 1906, a hotel has been located in the gray stone castle complex with the main two-story building and adjoining turrets and multi-level buildings, ready to accommodate everyone. The interiors of the castle have survived to the present day. Candlelight dinner according to old recipes is still served here, during which guests are entertained by jesters and musicians. Every August, reconstructions of knightly tournaments are held on the hotel grounds. To Lake Edersee, where you can do various water sports, play golf, ride horses and boats, guests of the castle are taken by cable car in special cabins.

Levenburg Castle

Levenburg is a fairly young building, built in the 17th century, although many attribute it to a medieval castle. Near the palace there is an armory, where you can find weapons and armor of the XV-XVI centuries, and a chapel, which houses the grave of the founder of the castle.

Löwenburg Castle is often referred to as a "fake castle". The ideological inspirer of the fake castle is William IX himself, who commissioned the architect to build a structure that could be compared with English medieval palaces. The castle looks like a real fortress, although in fact it is not a fortress.

To implement the idea of William IX, the architect had to go to England specifically to study the ruins of the English fortresses in detail, and draw up a plan for the construction of the magnificent Levenberg and the garden adjacent to it. The whole complex is one beautiful garden in the English style, with thematic branches. This is the first of its kind in Europe. In the garden you can see fake palace ruins, fake aqueducts of Rome, and even Greek temples. Outside, the castle is surrounded by a moat, and you can get inside thanks to a drawbridge.

The interior atmosphere of the castle is also unique. Here you can find original medieval furniture, altar plates, weapons and armor, decorating the walls, tables for games, bronze statues and stained glass windows. The castle was deliberately built in such a way as if it had taken part in many battles and sieges. In fact, the effect of antiquity is artificial. Most of the halls and parts of Levenburg are freely accessible to tourists. Near the castle there is an armory with weapons and armor from the 16th-17th centuries, as well as a chapel-tomb of the founder.

Levenburg does not have the same history as the more famous German castles, but it deserves its place in the list of the most beautiful castles in Germany.

Rhinestein Castle

Rheinstein Castle with a crenellated rim at the top of the tower, which denoted the free status of the inhabitants, was built in the 10th century and served as a battle castle.

For all the time of its existence, the castle has not experienced a single serious siege. The most famous event that took place within the walls of the fortress was the trial of the robber knights Zoonek, Ehrenfels and Reichenstein, which took place in the 13th century under the leadership of Emperor Rudolf von Habsburg. They were accused of numerous robberies and murders, and then beheaded in front of the chapel of St. Clemens, which is one of the oldest churches located on the banks of the Rhine.

In the 19th century, the castle was acquired by the Prussian prince Friedrich Wilhelm and began to actively restore it. Now the castle is visited by tourists. Near it are held annual festivals and concerts. The most exciting event is the Fires of the Rhine festival, when spectacular fireworks are arranged on the ferry near the castle.

Castle Museum Ronneburg

Ronneburg is one of the largest castles in Hesse. It stands, towering above the surroundings, on a basalt ledge of the southern slope of a hill not far from Hanau, and its walls and towers are clearly visible from afar to all approaching.

It is documented that the castle existed on this site before 1231, but the buildings that we see today belong to the 16th century. The fortifications are perfectly preserved, they give a complete picture of the structure of the medieval settlement. Today it houses a museum where you can get acquainted with the life, customs and habits of the Middle Ages. Ancient walls, imbued with a genuine historical spirit, create an atmosphere of immersion in the past. They say that ghosts live in the castle, and when one of them was disturbed while refurbishing the interior, it rebelled and strange things began to happen in the fortress - window frames broke, howls were heard at night ...

On weekends, craftsmen and townspeople flock to the castle from all over the area. All of them are dressed in historical costumes, starting with shoes and ending with headdresses. You can buy knightly armor, edged weapons, homespun napkins, stylized hats from them. The fortune-teller will tell you by the hand, and buffoons and musicians will cheer you up. The castle has a restaurant that cooks over an open fire and offers meat specialties. Recently, the castle has become popular among honeymooners as a venue for themed weddings.

Castle Kronberg

Kronberg Castle, located in the German city of Kronberg, was built in the Renaissance style in 1889-1894 by order of the Queen Dowager of Prussia, Victoria of Great Britain. In 1901, after her death, the castle was inherited by her youngest daughter, Princess Margaret, who married a member of the Hesse family.

After World War II, the castle was used as a club for American officers. The manager of this club, Kathleen Nash, along with her future husband, discovered a cache of Queen Victoria's jewels and took them abroad. Only 10 percent of the collection was returned to the family of Princess Margaret of Hesse.

Since 1954, in a luxurious building of a two-story castle with four protruding turrets with stepped gables, high windows on the ground floor and an interesting design of the roof with attic windows, there has been a world-famous hotel. The interiors of the castle have been partially preserved; here you can see some of the original furniture, works of art from the collection of Empress Victoria and her rich library.

Ehrenfels Castle

Ehrenfels Castle was a palace complex with several outbuildings. It stretched at one time to the very banks of the Rhine, where the customs building was located.

Ehrenfels was built by the Bolandin brothers in 1215 as a customs castle. In 1270, he passed along with the right to collect customs to the archbishops of Mainz. The castle, with towers flanked by a strong defensive wall on the mountainside, is one of the most imposing architectural monuments on the Rhine. Together with the "Mouse Tower" and Klopp Castle, he guaranteed reliable protection of the Mainz possessions from attacks from the north. Archbishops fortified the strategically important castle many times. In wartime, treasures from the Mainz Cathedral were also kept here.

Castle Frankenstein

The name Frankenstein is an integral part of popular culture these days. The monstrous monster, invented by Mary Shelley, has become a popular hero in numerous horror films. Few people know that Frankenstein is the real name of an old family of German barons, whose castle can still be seen near the German city of Darmstadt.

The first mention of Frankenstein Castle, associated with the name of its first owner, Lord Conrad II, dates back to 1252. Perched on a hill, the castle became the center of the principality of Frankenstein and was rebuilt several times during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In 1662, the castle was sold, for some time it housed a hospital and a prison, but, in the end, it was abandoned and today lies in ruins.

One of the most interesting owners of the castle was the alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel. Even during the life of Dippel, his name was overgrown with rumors and legends. It is said that during unsuccessful experiments with nitroglycerin, the alchemist set off an explosion that destroyed one of the towers of the castle. Once Johann Konrad was accused of stealing corpses from the local cemetery. Apparently, he studied anatomy, and there was no other way to get material for research at that time.

It is not known for certain whether the story of Dippel inspired Mary Shelley, who was resting in 1814 near Darmstadt, to write her famous novel. However, Frankenstein's name is widely used to attract tourists to the castle, so every autumn a costume festival is held here for the Halloween holiday.

Vorderburg Castle

Vorderburg is a majestic medieval fortress with a powerful defensive tower and a three-story palace, which has come down to us in excellent condition and original form. It was founded in the 12th century by representatives of the noble family of Steinach, after whom, in fact, the ancient city of Neckarsteinach, where Vorderburg is located, was named.

Fortress Vorderburg is one of 4 medieval castles in the city. By the way, translated from German "Vorderburg" means "Front Castle". The remaining three castles are called: Mittelburg ("Middle Castle"), Hinterburg ("Rear" or "Last Castle") and Schwalbennest ("Swallow's Nest"), which fully corresponds to their location today.

Today, Vorderburg Castle is a private property of the descendants of the Warsberg-Dort family, whose representatives received it in the 19th century. The fortress is surrounded by a picturesque park and is suitable for living, so it is rented out.

Castle Burg Dehrn

Castle Burg Dehrn is located in Hesse, on a mountain range above the river Lahn. The most interesting part of the castle is its round tower, which reaches a height of 34 meters and walls about 3 meters thick. The top of the tower is crowned with octagonal battlements. To the south of the tower is a residential building.

The castle was built in the 12th century, and changes were made to it later, in the 16th century - the dilapidated palace was partially restored and expanded, and a beautiful park was created next to it. Later, access roads were also restored and new outbuildings were created. After all the reconstructions and additions, the castle got its current look.

Near the castle there is a wonderful park with two bridges and a chapel. Only the foundation has been preserved from the chapel. Every year this place attracts many tourists from all over the world.

Boosenburg Castle

Boosenburg Castle is a historic site in Hesse. The castle has undergone a long-term restoration and re-opened its doors to visitors in April 2003. Along with the opening of the castle, a family hotel for 350 people, which has the same name, also celebrated its opening. A distinctive feature of the building is a high square tower, which contrasts with the general appearance of the castle.

In the historical premises of the castle, exhibitions are regularly held, as well as marriage ceremonies, the great holidays of Christmas and New Year are celebrated. By visiting the castle, you will be able to appreciate how extensive the restoration work was. You can come here on weekends or holidays. Staying at the hotel, you will have the opportunity to explore the entire castle and its surroundings. The castle also has a wonderful restaurant with a terrace.

In the park Wilhelmscholl (Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe), which is located in the city of Kassel (Kassel), there is a unique castle Löwenburg (Löwenburg). Looking at it, you might think that this is an old medieval building. However, it is not. It was built by order of Wilhelm IX at the end of the 18th century and served as a place for his love meetings with Caroline von Schlotheim, and also […]

IN Wilhelmscholl Park (Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe) what is in the city Kassel, located unique Löwenburg Castle. Looking at it, you might think that this is an old medieval building. However, it is not. It was built to order William IX at the end of the 18th century and served as a place for his love meetings with Caroline von Schlotheim, and also subsequently became the burial place of the landgrave.

From 1793 to 1801, the construction of the Levenburg Castle lasted. An architect worked on his project Heinrich Christoph Youssow. It took about a hundred years when the last castle was built in Germany, because with the advent of the Renaissance, aristocrats began to build palaces, preferring them to castles, but the famous architect enthusiastically set to work.

To build a beautiful romantic garden around Levenburg Castle, Yussov had to go to Great Britain in order to get to know the English romantic ruins better. At first, the customer planned only to rebuild the destroyed tower and an extension near it, but later a full-fledged castle grew on the hill, which was grouped around the courtyard.

In 1945 Levenburg Castle, which is also called lion castle, was significantly destroyed. Only the tower and part of the walls remained from it, the garden was also very badly damaged. Almost immediately after the war, work began on the restoration of Levenburg. As a result, the appearance of the castle has changed a lot. However, it continues to attract tourists today.

34131 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Deutschland
museum-kassel.de‎

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In Kassel, in the Wilhelmshöhe park, there is the medieval fortress of Löwenburg - one of the most beautiful castles in the world, which evokes clear associations with gothic, airy and very ancient in appearance. Landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse built it at the beginning of the 19th century, inspired by medieval romance.
Despite the fact that Levenburg with its beautiful towers looks like a real castle from chivalric romances or European fairy tales, it was built at the end of the 18th century by the architect Heinrich Christoph Jussow at the meeting place of William IX (William IX, 1743-1821) with his mistress Karoline von Schlotheim (1766-1847). The Landgrave lived in full accordance with the ideals of the Romantic era, and in fact, the castle served him as a place of retreat for himself and his beloved, Caroline von Schlotheim, who bore him a dozen children, despite the protests of Wilhelm's wife, Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark. However, Wilhelmina limited herself to five offspring, so that her husband's mistress outdid her in this indicator. In 1821, Wilhelm died at the age of 78 in his beloved Lowenburg (as you can see, amorous excesses did not in the least harm the landgrave's health, and he managed to live to a rather respectable age).
The castle became the place of his burial. Having finished his earthly journey, the landgrave rested in a crypt under the chapel of his own free will.
The castle stands on a 92-meter-high hill in the Bavarian Alps. The castle is considered one of the first significant examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Germany and serves as a recognizable emblem for a children's film company.
The artistic and historical role of Lowenburg in German architecture is enormous. We can say that the history of neo-Gothic in Germany begins with it, since this castle is the first significant building in this style. Löwenburg was built in 1793 - 1801, the architect Heinrich Christoph Yussov worked on his project. In those days when the era of building fortified formidable castles in Germany had already ended for several centuries and about a hundred years had passed, when the last castle was built in Germany, because with the advent of the Renaissance, aristocrats began to build palaces, preferring them to castles, but the famous architect enthusiastically got down to business. To build a beautiful romantic garden around Levenburg Castle, Yussov had to go to Great Britain in order to get to know the English romantic ruins better.
The castle is an imitation of a medieval knight's castle, a romantic appearance of ancient ruins (there are also ruins, by the way, and they were dilapidated already at the design stage, so that everything was “like for real”). Today, the castle looks like it was fought around for at least a couple of hundred years of fierce battles with the transition of Löwenburg from hand to hand. But in reality, the castle experienced real military damage only in the 20th century, but more on that below.
Initially, the architect Heinrich Christoph Yussof planned to build "romantic ruins" - one dilapidated tower with a small extension. The tower turned out to be not bad and moderately destroyed, but it was decided to build something else around it. In the end, a complete fortress was obtained, grouped around the courtyard. Also, a beautiful English garden was laid out here, in which you can see fake ruins, pseudo-Roman aqueducts and pseudo-Greek temples. The castle was built from tuff, which was available near the construction site in considerable quantities and was easily processed.
The interior of the castle consists of four princely suites in the Baroque style. The towers contain a rich collection of historical weapons and ramming machines from the 16th-17th centuries. The castle chapel is a museum of medieval church supplies from the surrounding towns. Here, under the choirs, there is a crypt with the grave of the landgrave. During the war, numerous items of castle furnishings were evacuated from Loewenburg. This historical collection is still not fully displayed in the castle - the Kassel management promises to do so after the restoration is fully completed.
In 1945, British and Allied aircraft carried out several raids on Kassel, which, thanks to its military-industrial complex, was a very important city for the war economy of Nazi Germany. Alas, the bombing covered the Lion's Castle. It was destroyed to a large extent, only the main tower remained, but only a few stairs with the remains of walls remained from it. The castle was restored in the post-war years, but the main tower is still being restored. Unfortunately, when restoring, they were mainly guided by functionality, and not by the accuracy of the transfer of details. However, the charm of Levenburg remained the same. The fortress stands on a hill above the city and evokes dreams of knightly tournaments, mighty armored men, beautiful ladies and troubadours.

Of course, Levenburg is fundamentally different from the magnificent Bavarian Neuschwanstein Castle in terms of architecture, but this does not mean that Levenburg is less beautiful and dramatic. Today, Levenburg is more of an imitation of a castle surrounded by ruins, but it still manages to offer an unforgettable journey through time.

When I was developing the route, and I saw this castle, the park - there was no doubt - I must go there !! The castle fascinated me. And when suddenly it opened among the bushes, I realized that romance has not died! She still lives in the souls of people who want to see it all. (It is not for nothing that it is extremely difficult to find a free place in a hotel). But we were not lucky here either, it was getting dark and there was no sky again.

On the way to the castle, I noticed the Christmas trees, their branches do not look down, but up. Wonderful.

The climb is quite steep and I walked without stopping, because I was afraid: I would sit on a bench with the guys and I would not get up. It is difficult to go uphill, besides it is steep.

And now the castle is already visible, but you still have to get to it, the stairs go (as you can see) in zigzags.

Photos, unfortunately, do not give depth, but the height is decent!

a little more - and I'm at the goal!

Kassel is visible in the distance in a blue haze.

And here is the whole castle. Romantically beautiful, isn't it?

Opposite the castle, there are such rows of an amphitheater with benches, and on the right there is a huge field for festivities.

and Hercules is clearly visible from this field, also in a haze. It also takes over an hour to walk up the hill.

and occasionally :)

Thank you for your attention:)
I hope that the time spent with me was well spent by you :)

Fairytale castle

Levenburg is an old castle, also called the lion's castle. It is located in the German town of Kassel and is its most striking attraction. The castle is located on a 92-meter mountain in Bavaria, in the Wilhelmscholl park. It was commissioned by William IX and designed by the architect Heinrich Christoph, who had similar experience in France, England and Italy.

The tourist route passing through the city of Kassel, and in particular Levenburg, is called the "German Fairy Tale Road" - this is the most popular route and for good reason. The "Road of Fairy Tales" runs through ancient cities associated with ancient legends and traditions. There is no need for additional decorations to feel like a part of the Middle Ages. Lion's Castle is called the Disneyland of its time, because in most of Walt Disney's cartoons about the Middle Ages, this particular castle prototype is used.

There is not much information about Levenburg, like about other, more famous castles in Germany. It does not have a long history, but at the same time it deservedly took its place in the list of the most beautiful castles in the country.

Castle construction

The ideological inspirer of the fake castle is William IX himself, who commissioned the architect to build a structure that could be compared with English medieval palaces. The castle looks like a real fortress, although in reality it is nothing like that.

To implement the idea of William IX, the architect specially had to go to England, for a more detailed study of the romantic ruins of the English fortresses, and draw up a plan for the construction of the magnificent Levenberg and the garden adjacent to it.

The whole complex is one beautiful garden in the English style, with thematic branches. This is the first of its kind in Europe.

In the garden you can see fake palace ruins, fake aqueducts of Rome, and even Greek temples. Outside, the castle is surrounded by a moat, and you can get into it thanks to a drawbridge.

Construction history

At the end of the 17th century, almost all of Germany admired the romanticism in the ruins of castles. It was under such influences that Wilhelm IX wanted to build a dilapidated fortress in the most secluded corner of the Wilhelmscholl park.

The fortress was supposed to be the secret refuge of the elector, where he could retire, or spend time with the metresses. The execution of this task was entrusted to the architect Johann Christoph Wussov, who took up the construction of a false fortress. Construction was carried out from 1793 to 1806.

Grouped around the quadrangular courtyard are buildings that simply had to be present in every "decent" medieval castle, including the main tower-palace, an open gallery and gates, as well as drawbridges and ditches.

The approach was unusual, given that other nobles bought various castle ruins to restore them to their liking.

During the Second World War, the castle was partially destroyed, and after the reconstruction it received slightly different features than in the original.

William IX

Wilhelm IX, the author and ideological inspirer of the construction of the castle of Levenburg, was born on June 3, 1743. He was born in the family of Crown Prince Friedrich II of Hesse-Kassel and the sister of the English King George III, Mary of Hanover. Wilhelm received his education at the University of Göttingen, and later continued his studies in Denmark.

Wilhelm IX's grandfather, Wilhelm VIII, made him ruler and heir of the county of Hanau-Münzerberg, which passed to Hesse-Kassel in 1736 after the death of the last of the counts of Hanau.

William ruled, adhering to the policy of the provisions of the absolutism of the princes. He widely practiced trading in soldiers of Hesse outside of Germany, which brought him a huge income, and eventually made him one of the richest princes in Germany of his time.

Wilhelm IX received the title of elector in 1803. After refusing to join the Confederation of the Rhine formed by Napoleon in 1806, Wilhelm was forced to leave his native lands and go into exile.

When Kurgessen was restored as a state in 1813, Wilhelm tried to turn Hesse into a kingdom and recognize himself as king. However, at the Congress of Vienna, it was decided to accept for him only the title of elector and the appeal "royal highness".

In matters of politics, Wilhelm IX was a conservative. He opposed any reforms, due to which he aroused the discontent of many subjects. Wilhelm died at the age of 78 on February 27, 1821.

Tourist Information

Visiting times:

January - February 10.00-16.00;
March - October 10.00-17.00;

Price:

Adults - €4
Visitors over 65 years old - €3
Students - €2
Children under 18 - free of charge

Despite the fact that Levenburg with its beautiful towers looks like a real castle from chivalric romances or European fairy tales, it was built at the end of the 18th century by the architect Heinrich Christoph Jussow at the meeting place of William IX (William IX, 1743-1821) with his mistress Karoline von Schlotheim (Karoline von Schlotheim, 1766-1847) and then became his burial place. Having finished his earthly journey, the landgrave rested in a crypt under the chapel of his own free will. The castle is located in the unique mountain nature park Wilhelmscholl (Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe) in Kassel, Germany (Kassel, Germany), on a hill 92 meters high in the Bavarian Alps (Bavarian Alps). The castle is considered one of the first significant examples of neo-gothic in Germany (Germany) and serves as a recognizable emblem for a company that produces children's films.
Of course, Levenburg is fundamentally different from the magnificent Bavarian Neuschwanstein Castle in terms of architecture, but this does not mean that Levenburg is less beautiful and dramatic. Today, Levenburg is more of an imitation of a castle surrounded by ruins, but it still manages to offer an unforgettable journey through time.

The architect Heinrich Christoph Jussow worked on the construction of Levenburg from 1793 to 1801, centuries after castles were actually built in Germany (with the onset of the Renaissance, wealthy and noble customers began to prefer palaces to castles). He was a very popular architect with extensive knowledge, who worked not only at home, but also abroad, in France (France), Italy (Italy) and England (England). Yussow made a special trip to Great Britain (UK) to study the English romantic ruins in order to build a large beautiful garden around Levenburg. This imitation of a medieval castle originally corresponded to the romantic rather than historical ideas of the Middle Ages and was deliberately built as artificial ruins. Initially, it was generally planned to build only a "dilapidated" tower with an extension, but in the end a complete castle appeared on the hill, grouped around the courtyard.

In 1945, British and Allied aircraft carried out several raids on Kassel, which, thanks to its military-industrial complex, was a very important city for the war economy of Nazi Germany. Alas, the bombing covered the Lion's Castle. It was destroyed to a large extent, only the tower with the remains of the walls remained, the garden also suffered. In the post-war years, the re""construction of Levenburg" began, which quite noticeably changed the original appearance of the castle, and the work has not yet been completed.

Nevertheless, Levenburg is considered one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the Wilhelmscholl Park, which is in Germany something like a Disney park in Tokyo (Tokyo Disney park). The whole complex is a beautiful park in the English style, where you can see not only the "medieval" false fortress, but also the same artificial ruins of a Roman aqueduct, an English castle, Greek temples and even a fake Chinese village. This is one of the first objects of this kind in Europe (Europe).

The interiors of Levenburg were cozy princely apartments, decorated in accordance with the trends of the Baroque era and decorated with numerous weapons and armor from the 16th and 17th centuries, but most of the historical collections have been stored in warehouses since the Second World War and will return to the castle only after the reconstruction is completed.