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Thurant Castle today

Germany · Partial ruin

Thurant Castle

Burg Thurant

Thurant Castle (Burg Thurant) is a spur castle on a slate hill above Alken on the Moselle in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Historically divided into Trier and Cologne halves, it retains two prominent round bergfriede, curtain walls and a cluster of domestic buildings; the site is partly rebuilt, privately owned and open to visitors seasonally.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1350

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1350

What Thurant Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a wide slate spur above terraced vineyards, the complex reads as a linear ring-walled spur castle with two large cylindrical bergfriede set along the ridge, a continuous stone curtain wall with crenellations, clustered steeply pitched slate roofs and several multi-storey stone domestic ranges including a timber-framed upper floor. A gatehouse with a wooden access bridge spans a neck moat; battlemented walkways and small round tourelles punctuate the profile. Vine terraces slope away below.

Its story

The story of Thurant Castle.

Count Palatine Henry I the Tall of the House of Welf probably built the first fortification on this slate spur above Alken between 1198 and 1206, to secure the claims of his brother, Emperor Otto IV, in the Moselle region. After Henry II the Younger died without male issue in 1214, Emperor Frederick II gave the castle and the village of Alken as an imperial fief to the House of Wittelsbach.

Duke Otto II of Bavaria appointed a knight, Berlewin, named Zurn, as burgrave, who conducted himself as a robber baron and raided the Trier Land from the castle, until Arnold II of Isenburg and Conrad of Hochstaden joined forces and besieged it in 1246, the so-called Great Feud. From the mid-13th century the archbishops of Cologne and Trier were joint owners, and each half of the double castle had its own bergfried, domestic buildings and entrance.

From the early 16th century the castle gradually fell into disrepair, and the War of the Palatine Succession left it a complete ruin. Robert Allmers, co-founder of the Hansa Automobil company, bought the site in 1911 and had part of it rebuilt; since 1973 it has been the joint private residence of the Allmers and Wulf families, open to visitors from March to mid-November.

Step inside

11 places to explore in 1350.

The record describes 11 distinct spots at Thurant Castle, including 3 interiors: castle chapel interior, cologne tower (bergfried) interior and stair, knights' hall in the cologne palace. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the Moselle vineyardsGatehouse and wooden bridge (Trier access)Inner courtyard (Trier side)Trier Tower (bergfried) exteriorHerrenhaus façade facing the MoselleCour d'honneur and cistern shaftCastle chapel interiorCologne Tower (bergfried) interior and stairKnights' Hall in the Cologne PalaceCovered battlement connecting round towersHunting lodge and connecting gallery

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Thurant Castle.

A strategy game played on Thurant Castle’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Thurant Castle.

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

  • Welf

    Built by Count Palatine Henry I the Tall of the House of Welf, c. 1198–1206; held until Henry II the Younger died without male issue in 1214.

  • Wittelsbach

    Granted to the House of Wittelsbach as an imperial fief by Frederick II in 1214; returned to the Counts Palatine by Rhine in 1225.

From the archive

Thurant Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

View of Thurant Castle near Alken, Stich, circa 1840, Thurant Castle

View of Thurant Castle near Alken, Stich, circa 1840

· Deutsche Fotothek (via Europeana)

CC BY-SA

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Thurant Castle.

Caesar's Rhine bridges, GermanyBridgeCaesar's Rhine bridges18 km awayLudendorff Bridge, GermanyBridgeLudendorff Bridge40 km away

Questions about Thurant Castle

What is the history of Thurant Castle?

Thurant Castle was probably built between 1198 and 1206 to secure Emperor Otto IV’s claims in the Moselle region. In 1214, Frederick II granted it and Alken as an imperial fief to the House of Wittelsbach. Cologne and Trier later became joint owners, while a siege during the Great Feud led to its capture in 1248. The castle became a ruin after destruction in 1689 and was partly rebuilt after 1911.

Why was Thurant Castle built, and what was it used for?

Thurant Castle was built to secure the claims of Emperor Otto IV in the Moselle region. It later served as a divided fortress, with Cologne and Trier each controlling a half with its own entrance, domestic buildings and bergfried. From the early 16th century it fell into disrepair, and the War of the Palatine Succession left it a complete ruin.

Who owns Thurant Castle now?

Thurant Castle is privately owned by the Allmers and Wulf families. It has been their joint private residence since 1973, while also being open to visitors seasonally. The Herrenhaus is described as a residential building still in use today.

Does anyone live at Thurant Castle now?

Yes, Thurant Castle is still a lived-in private residence. Since 1973 it has been the joint private residence of the Allmers and Wulf families. The Herrenhaus remains a residential building in use, while other parts include visitor-accessible spaces and a holiday home.

Where is Thurant Castle?

Thurant Castle is above Alken on the Moselle, in Rhineland-Palatinate. It stands on a wide slate hill spur, with vineyards on the sunny slopes below. The castle is in the district of Mayen-Koblenz.

Was Thurant Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Yes, Thurant Castle was besieged during the Great Feud. Arnold II of Isenburg and Conrad of Hochstaden joined forces and began the siege in 1246 after Berlewin Zurn raided the Trier Land. The castle was captured in 1248, and a treaty was signed on 17 November that year, transferring it to the archbishops of Cologne and Trier.

Which family or clan held Thurant Castle?

The House of Welf held Thurant Castle after Count Palatine Henry I the Tall built the first fortification around 1198–1206. It held the castle until Henry II the Younger died without male issue in 1214. The House of Wittelsbach then received it as an imperial fief from Frederick II, before it returned to the Counts Palatine by Rhine in 1225.

What did Thurant Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Thurant Castle was a linear ring-walled spur castle on a wide slate ridge. Two large cylindrical bergfriede stood along the ridge, with crenellated curtain walls, steeply pitched slate roofs and multi-storey stone domestic ranges. A gatehouse, wooden bridge, battlemented walkways and small round tourelles completed the profile above the vineyard terraces.

Is Thurant Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Thurant Castle is a partial ruin rather than a wholly intact castle. Its two bergfriede, ring walls and some domestic buildings survive, while other elements were destroyed or rebuilt. Robert Allmers had parts rebuilt in 1915/16, and the Herrenhaus was reconstructed between 1960 and 1962 on old foundations after wartime destruction.

What is inside Thurant Castle, and what can you see there?

Inside Thurant Castle are the castle chapel, the Cologne Tower and the Knights’ Hall in the Cologne Palace. The chapel retains old wall and ceiling frescoes, a Baroque altar from 1779 and a baptismal font from 1515. The Cologne Tower contains preserved murals and torture instruments, while the former Knights’ Hall survives mainly at ground-floor level.

Can you visit Thurant Castle?

Thurant Castle can be visited by the public from March to mid-November. It remains in private hands and is also the joint private residence of the Allmers and Wulf families. The Cologne Tower can be climbed as a lookout tower, while the Trier Tower cannot be visited because it serves as a water reservoir.

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