Burg Villmar

The Burg Villmar, also called the Vogteiburg, once stood on a ridge forty metres above the Lahn valley. Its ruins lie west of Villmar’s old cemetery in the district of Limburg-Weilburg. The site overlooks the river and the surrounding countryside. Built around 1250 by the lords of Isenburg, it was first mentioned in 1251 when Isenburg men garrisoned the castle. In 1348 the archbishop of Trier, Balduin of Luxembourg, attacked the castle and town. By 1362 the castle had become a fief of the archbishopric. The castle changed hands several times in the following centuries. In the early 18th century a three-storey residential tower still stood on the site. Early in the 19th century the fortress walls were demolished, leaving only the cellars. Excavations in 1840 uncovered the foundations of an earlier tower beneath the courtyard. Today only the lower parts of the medieval walls remain visible. The site is quiet and open, with views across the Lahn valley. Visitors can walk among the low ruins and imagine the castle’s former height. The old cemetery nearby adds a peaceful setting. The remains are small but give a clear sense of the fortress’s position and scale.