Thurant Castle

Burg Thurant stands on a wide slate spur above the village of Alken on the Moselle. The castle is a spur castle with vine gardens on its sunniest slope. It belongs to the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate. The ruins date back to the 13th century when the archbishops of Cologne and Trier became joint owners. Each half of the castle had its own bergfried, living buildings and entrance. The castle fell into disrepair in the 16th century and was further damaged during the War of the Palatine Succession. The castle’s history includes a Roman settlement on the hill spur, first recorded in 1209. Count Palatine Henry I built a fortification here between 1198 and 1206 to secure his brother’s claims. The castle was later divided between the archbishops of Cologne and Trier after a treaty in 1248. Noble families such as von Schöneck and von Eltz occupied the castle in later centuries. The site became a ruin in the 16th century and was used as a stone quarry. Robert Allmers purchased the castle in 1911 and had part of it rebuilt. Visitors find a ring wall and neck moat protecting the entire complex. The Trier half includes a gatehouse with a wooden bridge, a large inner courtyard and the 20-metre-high Trier Tower. The Herrenhaus, rebuilt after the Second World War, stands on the west side of the courtyard. The Cologne half features two round towers connected by a battlement with preserved murals. The ruins of the Cologne Palace include a cellar and ground floor with Late Romanesque window openings. The hunting lodge at the northern end has a ground floor with dark wood panelling and a beamed ceiling.