Clan Rising
Larochette Castle today

Luxembourg · Partial ruin

Larochette Castle

Larochette Castle is a medieval castle complex sited on a limestone promontory above the town of Larochette in central Luxembourg. Originally built from the 11th century, the fortified site developed several separate manor houses and defensive walls before being largely destroyed by fire at the end of the 16th century. The ruins and some restored manors are today owned by the State of Luxembourg and are open to visitors seasonally.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1100

Its prime

1580

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1580

What Larochette Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a high limestone promontory, the castle reads as a long horizontal complex of pale-beige stone curtain walls and ruined residential blocks. A tall rectangular residential tower with a steep slate roof and external stair anchors one end; in the centre are the broken façades of large manor houses with vertical window openings and gabled rooflines. Low battlemented walls run along the cliff edge above sheer rock faces, and a deep ditch splits the site into two defended parts.

Its story

The story of Larochette Castle.

Larochette Castle stands high above the town of Larochette in central Luxembourg. The earliest references to the castle date from the end of the 11th century and the 12th, when the lords of Larochette, the Van der Feltz, served as flag bearers for the counts of Luxembourg.

The family proliferated, leading to the construction of five stately houses separate from the main structure. The castle was destroyed by fire at the end of the 16th century; since its acquisition by the State of Luxembourg in 1979 some restoration work has been undertaken, and the site is open to visitors seasonally.

Step inside

10 places to explore in 1580.

The record describes 10 distinct spots at Larochette Castle, including 3 interiors: créhange manor central court and well (interior), créhange manor interior chamber, homburg manor 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.

Approach across the farmyard and fortified earthworksCliff-top curtain walls and battlementsMain residential tower (exterior) with external stairCréhange Manor central court and well (interior)Créhange Manor interior chamberHomburg Manor interiorVerlorenkost watchtower on the south sideOverlook across the deep ditch dividing the castleCluster of the five stately manor houses at the promontory's far endPromontory viewpoint down to the White Ernz valley

Build Your Own Castle

Recreate Larochette Castle with AI to explore it.

The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1580, a photoreal reconstruction that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Larochette Castle.

A strategy game played on Larochette 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 Larochette Castle.

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

  • Van der Feltz

    The lords of Larochette from the 11th century, flag bearers to the counts of Luxembourg.

From the archive

Larochette 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.

Château Larochette, Larochette Castle

Château Larochette

· National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art (via Europeana)

Public domain

Vue du château de Larochette, Larochette Castle

Vue du château de Larochette

· National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art (via Europeana)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Larochette Castle.

Porta Nigra, GermanyFortressPorta Nigra31 km awayAula Palatina, GermanyChurchAula Palatina31 km away

Questions about Larochette Castle

What is the history of Larochette Castle?

Larochette Castle began as a defended spur site in the 11th or 12th century, chosen for its steep rocky slopes and strategic position. The lords of Larochette, the Van der Feltz, served as flag bearers for the counts of Luxembourg. The family later expanded the complex with five separate manor houses, before fire destroyed the castle at the end of the 16th century.

What is inside Larochette Castle?

Larochette Castle contains restored interior spaces in Créhange Manor and Homburg Manor. Créhange Manor has three floors, a cellar, a five-storey staircase with smaller chambers, a bakery, a kitchen and a two-metre-wide well. The manor also contains period artwork, while exhibitions are shown in the rooms of the Créhange house.

Who owns Larochette Castle now?

Larochette Castle is owned by the State of Luxembourg. The state acquired the castle and the entire complex in 1979, after which larger restoration and consolidation works were carried out.

Why was Larochette Castle built?

Larochette Castle was built for defence on a rocky promontory with steeply falling slopes. Its position also related to economic and territorial interests, including a regional riverside road, local route crossings, fishing and mill operation on the small river. The complex later served as a group of manor houses as the family expanded.

Where is Larochette Castle?

Larochette Castle is above the town of Larochette in central Luxembourg. The ruins stand on a promontory about 150 metres above the White Ernz, which runs through the town.

When was Larochette Castle built?

Larochette Castle dates from the 11th or 12th century. Its earliest references are from the end of the 11th century and during the 12th century, while archaeological investigations date the documented castle to the first half of the 12th century; the recorded first-raised year is 1100.

Which family held Larochette Castle?

The Van der Feltz family held Larochette Castle from the 11th century. They were the lords of Larochette and served as flag bearers to the counts of Luxembourg.

What did Larochette Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Larochette Castle was a long horizontal complex of pale-beige stone curtain walls and ruined residential blocks on a high limestone promontory. A tall rectangular residential tower with a steep slate roof and external stair stood at one end, while manor-house façades, gabled rooflines, battlements and a deep dividing ditch shaped the complex.

Is Larochette Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Larochette Castle is a partial ruin, although some manors have been restored. Fire destroyed the castle at the end of the 16th century, and the State of Luxembourg carried out restoration and consolidation work after acquiring the complex in 1979.

Can you visit Larochette Castle?

Larochette Castle is open to visitors seasonally. The ruins are open to the public, and restored rooms in Créhange Manor contain exhibitions and period artwork.

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