Clan Rising
Ehreshoven Castle today

Germany · Restored

Ehreshoven Castle

Schloss Ehreshoven

Ehreshoven Castle is a moated manor complex in Engelskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, first recorded in 1355 and substantially rebuilt around the turn of the 18th century. The present ensemble combines a large four-winged front house with a three-winged rear manor that incorporates an older chapel and remnants of medieval fabric. From 1924 it has been a charitable foundation and the buildings were renovated in 1990.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1355

Its prime

1700

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1700

What Ehreshoven Castle looked like in its prime.

A rectangular moated complex of two main blocks: a large, pale-rendered four-winged front house set on the moat and a three-winged stone manor to the rear, joined by a short bridge over the water to form a central carriage courtyard. Steep dark slate roofs with multiple dormer windows and two small corner pavilions capped by onion-shaped domes punctuate the silhouette. To the north lies a formal French parterre garden with geometric beds, clipped hedges and straight gravel walks; overall the buildings sit surrounded by trees and the encircling moat.

Its story

The story of Ehreshoven Castle.

Ehreshoven Castle is a moated castle in Engelskirchen, east of Cologne, first recorded in 1355. It was originally owned by Siegburg Abbey, founded in 1164 by Archbishop Anno of Cologne, and in 1396 was given to the family of the counts of Nesselrode, who kept it for more than five centuries, until 1920.

Substantially rebuilt around the turn of the 18th century, the complex pairs a large four-winged front house with a three-winged rear manor incorporating an older chapel and remnants of medieval fabric. It has been a charitable foundation since 1924 and was renovated in 1990; television viewers know it as the residence of the fictional Count Johannes von Lahnstein in the series Verbotene Liebe.

Step inside

9 places to explore in 1700.

The record describes 9 distinct spots at Ehreshoven Castle, including 1 interior: chapel interior. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Exterior approach from the south roadBridge and main façadeCentral carriage courtyardNorthern French parterre gardenGarden pavilion and pondMoat-level viewRear medieval block (exterior)Chapel interiorCorner pavilion rooftop

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Recreate Ehreshoven Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1700, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Ehreshoven Castle.

The families that held Ehreshoven Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Nesselrode

    Held by the counts of Nesselrode from 1396 to 1920.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Ehreshoven Castle.

Lanxess Arena, GermanyStadiumLanxess Arena26 km awayCologne Cathedral, GermanyCathedralCologne Cathedral27 km awayRheinEnergie Stadion, GermanyStadiumRheinEnergie Stadion33 km away

Questions about Ehreshoven Castle

What is the history of Ehreshoven Castle?

Ehreshoven Castle was first recorded in the 14th century as a small castle or fortified house. Originally owned by Siegburg Abbey, it passed to the counts of Nesselrode in 1396 and remained with their family until 1920. The complex was substantially rebuilt around the turn of the 18th century, became a charitable foundation in 1924 and was renovated in 1990.

What is inside Ehreshoven Castle?

Ehreshoven Castle contains a vestibule, a small stair hall and a dining room with historic leather wallpaper. The vestibule has a chequerboard stone floor, black marble door surrounds and tiled lower walls. The dining room’s wallpaper depicts flowers, fruit, birds and putti; the castle also incorporates a chapel, although its interior is not described here.

Where is Ehreshoven Castle?

Ehreshoven Castle is in Engelskirchen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, east of Cologne. It stands near the village of Ehreshoven in the Oberbergischer Kreis, about 32 kilometres by road east of Cologne. The complex is located in the Aggertal.

When was Ehreshoven Castle built?

Ehreshoven Castle was first raised in the 14th century, with the site first recorded in 1355. Its present form was built in phases: the chapel was incorporated in 1595, while the three-winged manor and four-winged front house were constructed around the end of the 17th century and the early 18th century. A French garden was added in the early 18th century.

Which family or clan held Ehreshoven Castle?

The counts of Nesselrode held Ehreshoven Castle from 1396 to 1920. Their ownership lasted for more than five centuries, ending when the unmarried Countess Marie of Nesselrode left the estate to the Rheinische Ritterschaft. In 1924, it became a charitable foundation for canonesses.

What did Ehreshoven Castle look like in its prime?

Ehreshoven Castle is a rectangular moated complex formed by a large pale-rendered four-winged front house and a three-winged stone rear manor. A short bridge crosses the moat to the central carriage courtyard. Steep dark slate roofs, dormer windows and two corner pavilions with onion-shaped domes define the silhouette, while a formal French parterre garden lies to the north.

Is Ehreshoven Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Ehreshoven Castle is still standing and restored, rather than being a ruin. The present ensemble combines the rebuilt front house with a rear manor that retains an older chapel and remnants of medieval fabric. Parts of the original medieval buildings remain at the rear, and the whole manor house was renovated from the outside in 1990.

Does anyone live at Ehreshoven Castle now?

Ehreshoven Castle is a lived-in building today. The castle is described as inhabited, and its charitable foundation for canonesses continues there. Parts of the complex are also rented and used commercially, with the income supporting the buildings and the foundation.

Can you visit Ehreshoven Castle?

Ehreshoven Castle is not open to the public because it is inhabited and not publicly accessible. The building is used by a charitable foundation for canonesses, while parts are rented for commercial use. Its heritage designation is an architectural heritage monument in North Rhine-Westphalia, but that status does not establish public access.

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