Schloss Engers

Schloss Engers is a Baroque palace beside the Rhine near Koblenz. It stands on the site of an earlier medieval toll castle built by Archbishop Kuno II of Falkenstein in the 14th century. The old castle became a toll station after its toll was moved from Stolzenfels. Only the Gray Tower of that time remains today. In 1758 the Archbishop Johann Philipp von Walderdorff had the medieval structure demolished to make way for a new summer palace and hunting lodge. The palace was designed by Johannes Seiz and built between 1759 and 1762. Seiz worked with stuccoist Michael Eytel, painter Januarius Zick and sculptor Ferdinand Dietz to create its interiors. Prince-Elector von Walderdorff visited only during September for the hunting season, leaving the rest of the year open to travellers. He often arrived by barge from his Philippsburg palace in Koblenz. Villa Musica now occupies the building, supporting young classical musicians and running concerts. The palace also houses a museum of historic musical instruments and portraits of Trier’s Prince-Electors. Next to it stands the Meisterhaus, built around 1900 and now home to the State Music Academy of Rhineland-Palatinate. Visitors find elegant rooms, fine art and the riverside setting unchanged since the 18th century.