Schloss Halberg

Schloss Halberg stands on Halberg mountain near Saarbrücken in the Saarland. The castle was built between 1877 and 1880 for Carl Ferdinand von Stumm-Halberg by architects Edwin Oppler and Ferdinand Schorbach. It replaced an earlier baroque pleasure palace called Monplaisir, which had been destroyed in 1793 by French Revolutionary troops. Monplaisir had been designed by Joseph C. Motte dit la Bonté and featured baroque gardens, a zoo and an English landscape park with an orangery and Chinese houses. Prince William Henry of Nassau-Saarbrücken expanded the gardens further with a pheasantry and finch house designed by Balthasar Wilhelm Stengel. The castle is the second largest neo-Gothic secular building in Saarland. Carl Ferdinand von Stumm-Halberg became wealthy as a partner in Stumm Brothers and built the castle in competition with his brothers, who also constructed grand castles. The landscape park surrounding the castle was designed by Eduard Neide and carried out by Heinrich Siesmayer. The façade was built from yellow Jaumont limestone from Maizières-lès-Metz. Emperor Wilhelm II stayed at the castle in 1892 as a guest of Baron von Stumm-Halberg. Visitors find a neo-Gothic castle with a landscape park designed in the 19th century. The castle complex includes several outbuildings and pavilion-style buildings added later. A French/German restaurant is located within the castle. The surrounding area offers views of the Saarland countryside. The castle’s history is reflected in its architecture and the stories of its former residents. The park remains a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.