Husterknupp Castle

Husterknupp is a vanished medieval motte near Frimmersdorf in the Erft valley. It stands on a low hill once surrounded by the Erft’s meanders, where the counts of Hochstaden built their first stronghold. The name means ‘Hochstaden Hill’, showing how the family shaped the place. Excavations between 1949 and 1951 uncovered three building phases. The earliest, from the late 9th century, was a wooden farmstead built to guard against Viking raids. By the mid-10th century the site became a two-part motte with a central mound and outer bailey, both ringed by water-filled ditches. At the start of the 11th century a tall mound sixty-four metres wide and six metres high carried a stone tower, while the enlarged bailey held stables and a chapel. Visitors today see a grassy rise beside the drained Erft loop. The outlines of the ditches and ramparts are still visible in the flat meadow. A small vineyard planted on a nearby slope carries the name Husterknupp, keeping the memory of the vanished fortress alive.