Top 8 Castles around Otzweiler

Old castle ruins where you have a great view (if there is no fog)

The castle and estate initially became French national property after 1800 and were later auctioned off for demolition. The Naumburg is an early allodial possession of the Raugrafs, built to provide access to the Raugraf's possessions on the Alsenz from the Nahe. The Naumburg (= New Castle) probably got its name as a new foundation compared to the nearby Kyrburg or the Hachenfels Fortress. history 1146 (Raugraf Emicho calls himself “Count of Nuenburc”) 1803 The castle was destroyed by French troops The first excavation work began in 1934 1986–1994 Extensive renovation and excavation work was carried out

Between the main road and the Glan, north of the confluence of the Odenbach, a high corner of the wall rises up, which comes from the keep of a former castle. The wall is about three meters thick and five meters at the bottom on the west side and eight meters long on the south side. Its history begins around 1190, when an "Eberhardus de Odenbach" is mentioned in a document as a feudal bearer. Construction was probably started at this time. The oldest written evidence for the castle dates back to 1303, when the Counts of Veldenz acquired shares. Around 100 years later, it is described as a castle with a tower, outer bailey, wall and moat. It was probably filled with water, which may have led to the name "Weiherturm". The decline began during the Thirty Years' War. In 1683, French soldiers attempted to blast a ground-level entrance into the tower, severely damaging it. The fallen stones were transported to Meisenheim and used to build the Catholic parish church. The tower finally collapsed in 1850/51. Source: https://www.rheinpfalz.de/startseite_artikel,-steine-in-katzer-kirche-verbaut-_arid,503969.html

In addition to the ruin itself, the Whiskey Meseum is also very interesting; The Kyrburg houses a whiskey museum in the basement, which also offers whiskey tastings, among other things.

The Naumburg is one of the older castles in the Naheland and is likely to have existed during the 11th and 12th centuries. century by a member of the so-called "Emichons". Naumburg was first mentioned in a document by an Archbishop of Mainz in 1146. In this document, a witness named Emicho describes himself as Count von der "Nauweburc" (New Castle). Little is known about the existence of this former castle in the area where the Bärenbach flows into the Nahe. After the castle fell into disrepair in the first half of the 19th century, nature largely covered the remaining remains with its lush vegetation. After various exposure and safety measures from 1986, the ruins can be seen and walked on again. The destruction of Naumburg around 200 years ago was the consequence of political and social changes that also took place in the vicinity in the wake of the French Revolution of 1789. The Naumburg, most recently the administrative seat of an Oberamt, shared the fate of Schloss Dhaun. Both castles were first declared French state property and then put up for auction. As an object of speculation for future use and exploitation, the Naumburg became a kind of wholesaler for building materials, which some residents of the surrounding villages gladly used to build their houses and barns. With the demolition of this residential and administrative palace down to the foundation walls, the more than 600-year existence of Naumburg came to an end. The whole story: http://www.baerenbach.de/.cm4all/mediadb/Chronik_Baerenbach.pdf from page 23

The castle is beautifully situated. A beautiful hilltop castle with a fantastic view.

The Kyrburg, the landmark of Kirn The Kyrburg, built around 960 by the count Emicho, is a landmark of the town of Kirn that can be seen from afar. After a history marked by various occupations, the Kyrburg was destroyed by the French in 1734. The guardhouse, which was only built after the destruction, now houses a restaurant. From the terrace you can enjoy a wonderful view of Kirn and the Nahe valley. Germany's whisky museum is housed in a deep cellar beneath the guardhouse. The lavishly restored castle complex offers an impressive view of Kirn and the Nahe valley as far as the southern heights of the Hunsrück from a high vantage point. It is also possible to get married in a restored vault of the Kyrburg in a medieval atmosphere.

There is a beautiful view from the castle. The restaurant is a very nice place to sit. We were served very nicely and there were lots of delicious things on the menu. 😁