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Kulturlandschaft
Trithemius

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.

vSpacer hSpacer Kastellaun castle with church Hl. Kreuz («Soonwald» Forest) rFrame
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