Schengen Castle
The castle was first mentioned in a document on May 5, 1350. Over the centuries, it changed hands several times. In 1793 it came into the possession of the Collart family. In 1812 Jean-Nicolas Collart had the old moated castle demolished except for the massive tower, which is said to have served as a prison for a long time. He used the old building materials to build today's castle. In 1939 the castle passed into the possession of the Elisabeth Theresa Congregation. Collart Castle offered itself as a rest and retirement home for the sisters. In recent years, extensive restoration and alteration work has been undertaken inside. The staircase that leads from the outside to the pointed arched entrance of the 9-meter-thick tower is steep and narrow. The side tower serves as a stair tower; a spiral staircase leads to the individual floors, each with a fireplace and a small window. On every floor you can see niches in the wall, which were used to open the apartment doors due to the narrow corridor. Victor Hugo drew this tower during his stay in Schengen Castle on September 13, 1871. Also note the two battlements crowned gate posts at the entrance. The symmetry and division of the three rows of windows each with 9 window openings and the mezzanine windows give the castle facade a stately appearance. The construction date and the initials JNC on the facade are reminiscent of the builder Jean-Nicolas Collart. The quiet of the garden tempts you to meditate and only reminds you of the lords of the castle through a date (1826) on the grille. A gate, which was first mentioned in 1451, serves as an exit to the banks of the Moselle. It shows the statue of St. Nicholas, patron saint of fishermen and boatmen and the coat of arms of the castle. Source: Service des Sites et Monuments Nationaux.