Metternich Castle

Metternich Castle is an ancient castle in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is also known as the Beilstein Castle (Beilstein Burg), being within the municipal bounds of in Beilstein, Rhineland-Palatinate.

Metternich Castle above the Moselle river

Location

The castle, now in ruins, is located in the municipality of Beilstein on the river Moselle.

History

The history of the castle goes back to 1268 when the castle (referred to as Bilstein Castle) was first mentioned. It is thought the castle is even older, with some historians indicating 1129 as the year of construction.

Until the first half of 17th century, the castle was owned by Counts von Nassau-Dillenburg. In 1637, the castle became the property of the House of Metternich, hence its current name, Metternich Castle. The last member of the family to own the castle was Klemens von Metternich, one of the most famous diplomats of the Austrian Empire – he was foreign minister from 1809 to 1848.

In 1689, during the Nine Years' War, the castle was destroyed by French troops.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.