Burresheim Castle (Germany)

To the north-west city of Mayen, we found the Castle Bürresheim on the top of a ridge. It is one of the rare examples, showing its development from the medieval fortress into a Baroque castle life so clearly.
In addition, the original furnishings preserved castle Bürresheim shows visitors the lifestyle of the nobility of the Rhine continuously from 15 to 20 century.
A visit of the castle is worth Bürresheim also from another point of view: it is a castle, which was never destroyed by any wars. So it is a rare example of a living medieval castle, which was inhabited until 1921.
Bürresheim castle took its name from the family, who were the owners of the previous Bürresheim castle in the 14th century. In the same century several noble families, and the archbishops of Trier and Cologne have shared the castle after the Bürresheim family had died out.
In 1473, Gerlach of Breitbach bought the castle to the east. Many centuries later the Breitbach family became the single owner of Castle Bürresheim and created the appearance of her today. One member of this family has become the Archbishop and Prince Elector of Mainz in the 18th century.
Castle Bürresheim consists of two unequal parts. To the west is the Castle of Cologne, which was built in the 14th century. To the east lies the living castle, which was built on the foundation walls of the 14th century, at the end of the 15th and the second part of the 17th century.
Cologne Castle was named the archbishops of Cologne, who had been the feudal lords in 1189 at the latest. At the beginning of the 16th century this castle was given to the Breitbach family. The former drawbridge of Cologne castle was replaced by a fixed bridge in 1738.
Between the Castle of Cologne and the castle to the east there is the main entrance to the residential buildings. After passing the main entrance, visitors will enter a courtyard outside, which could be turned on three sides.
Immediately to the outer court of the bailey triangle begins, where the memorial Barbara Nesselrode is. The memorial had been brought from Maria Laach to Bürresheim Castle in the 19th century.
Standing in the middle of the bastion, the visitor is surrounded by two different building wings, running diagonally towards each other and which are connected by a small building. The buildings around the ramparts were built in five different eras.
The keep of the 12th century was expanded to five storeys in the 15th century. The opposite of the keep is the house of the bailiff, which was built in 1380. Today there is the caretaker of the castle living there.
The residential building late Gothic, which consists of a north and east wing, was probably built after 1473. In the 17th century the home office and the "way Cannon" were built. Like a tunnel, the way the cannon goes along under the entire south wing of the castle.
E 'was used as a trap for the enemy. The gap between the residential building and the keep was closed through the construction of a chapel in the years from 1698 until 1700.
The rooms of the castle will not only give examples of noble culture alive for several centuries, but also show a number of interesting design details. For example, there is a 1730 by leather wallpaper or there are the late medieval glasses round window with coats of arms of John of Breitbach and Loretta of Schönbeck into the room sergeant.
The interior of the castle is also very interesting, such as the 1720 desk, which is also regarded as the most stylish addition of the castle furniture.