シャルケンメーレンの洞窟・トップ17

The lower castle has completely disappeared. You can still see the beginning of the ring that connected the lower castle and the Ulmen city wall, a two-story outer wall of the palace, as well as a cistern and some foundation walls of other buildings. The old part of Ulmen Castle was built around 1074 AD and likely rests on the remains of a Roman settlement. In the Middle Ages, Ulmen Castle was further expanded and divided into the upper castle, whose remains of the walls still exist, and the lower castle, which extended to the banks of the maar river. Two knightly families lived in the castle, which is believed to have never been attacked or destroyed until 1673 due to its size. Only the Sun King's troops succeeded. It was rebuilt, but fell again in 1689 during the War of the Succession. However, Ulmen Castle was also rebuilt this time, with only the city wall being abandoned. With the invasion of Napoleon's soldiers, Ulmen also became French and later Prussian. The empty castle, whose last descendant died in 1801, was auctioned to a merchant from Cochem, who sold it as a quarry. When a devastating fire burned Ulmen to the ground in the 19th century, the residents of Ulmen rebuilt their houses with stones from the castle. That's why you can still see a coat of arms on some of the stables today. It wasn't until the early twentieth century that Ulmen Castle was declared a listed building and became the property of the municipality of Ulmen. The castle is always freely accessible.

The Upper Castle and the Lower Castle rise up in the Lieser valley near Manderscheid. The Upper Castle was once a state castle of the Archbishops of Trier, while the Lower Castle, around 150 years younger, served as the residence of the Lords of Manderscheid, who lived there as representatives of the Counts of Luxembourg.

The steep climb to the castle is quite difficult. A real calf biter! But once at the top you forget it all. Beautiful ruin and the cave is more than worth it.

From the Niederburg via the tournament meadow to the Oberburg. There you have a view of the Niederburg. Gradweg past the Kaisertempelchen! Very beautiful! Definitely recommended to be included in a hike.

Just awesome being so close to the place and with a half day walk around and visit. For a nice stop, first check whether the castle café opposite is open; but a stop in Manderscheid is also possible.

Access to the upper castle is free. 199 steps lead up to the tower.

There's also a pavilion here. So the place is perfect for a snack break.

"The Lower Castle, first mentioned in documents in 1133, was the ancestral home of the Counts of Manderscheid. The castle, which has been uninhabited since 1794, is now owned by the Eifel Association. It has been restored and today, together with the Manderscheid Upper Castle, forms an impressive backdrop for the annual castle festival with knightly games that takes place on the last weekend in August." Opening times: March/April: 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. May to August: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., outdoor seating with food until 10 p.m. September/October: 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Costs: Entry for individual visitors: adults €2, adults with a spa card €1.50. https://www.eifel.de/go/freizeitmoeglichkeiten-detail/niederburg_manderscheid.html https://www.niederburg-manderscheid.de/