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Kastellaun in the Hunsrück
From whatever direction you approach Kastellaun, you will always be
impressed by the ruins of the castle, which can be seen from afar
towering over the town. Topographically, the position of this castle
from the 13th Century is optimally situated on a rocky peak with slopes
of up to 30 m steep to the east and west. The singular defense that
this location provided in the Middle Ages, becomes quite obvious when
you stand at the foot of the steep slopes and look up at the placement
of the fortress, or when you stand on the rocky plateau and let your
gaze wander over the town. Massive walls, in combination with the keep,
blocked off the north side —altogether a typical medieval fortress
with Palas (a residential building with a large hall
and a heated apartment on the upper floor), outbuildings and a
courtyard. The Counts of
Sponheim
(the "back" county), who, in order to
secure their ties of ownership on the Nahe and the Mosel Rivers, had
realigned the boundaries of a relatively closed area in the middle of
Hunsrück with the towns of
Kirchberg,
Gemünden,
Koppenstein and Kastellaun. In the year 1305 Count Simon II of Sponheim
granted the city charter to the present location in the valley basin, and
in this way promoted the economic development of the medieval town, which
is centrally located on the Hunsrück plain and was intersected by
important routes. This had such a sustained effect that, a short time
later, Emperior Heinrich I also authorized a weekly market.
Photo: The medieval castle of Kastellaun is situated on a rocky
plateau high above the city, from where you have a magnificent view —
so you should definitely climb up and visit the local garden restaurant
after your tour. In the background the church St. Cross.
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