Since its construction, over 360 years ago and apart from a few additions and modifications during the last centuries, Beaufort’s Renaissance Castle has never suffered any damage and has remained virtually unchanged.
It was built by a major Luxembourger, Jean Baron de Beck. Born in 1588 in Luxembourg-Grund, Jean Beck was the son of a riding messenger of the Luxembourg Provincial Council from Saarburg in Lorraine, France, and departed from a humble background to make a fantastic military career.
Today, the prestigiously furnished interiors as well as the flourishing gardens, the surrounding stables and the distillery are maintained  in the same condition as they used to be when its last owners and residents were still living in the castle.
Anne Marie Linckels-Volmer died on 8 August 2012 at the age of 97. After the death of her husband, she acted as the last veritable “chatelaine” of Beaufort for over 37 years. Anne-Marie Linckels-Volmer left “her” castle in perfect condition for the government and the public. All interiors remain as they had been during Madame Linckels-Volmer’s lifetime.
https://beaufortcastles.com/

Beaufort Castle

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Beaufort Castle dating from the 11th century consists of the ruins of the medieval fortress and an adjacent Renaissance château. It is located in Beaufort in eastern Luxembourg.
History
It was probably in the 11th century that the castle began as a small square-shaped fortress on a large rock protected by a moat and a second wall above the valley. A reference from 1192 indicates that Wauthtier de Wiltz et Beaufort was its first lord. During the first half of the 12th century, a keep was added and the gate was moved and enlarged. In 1348, the property came into the hands of the House of Orley after Adelaide of Beaufort married William of Orley. The Lords of Orley made significant extensions overlooking the valley. In 1477, Maximilian of Austria transferred the castle to Johann Bayer von Boppard after Johann von Orley-Beaufort committed a breach in trust. In 1539, Bernard von Velbrück became Lord of Beaufort through marriage and added the large Renaissance wing with cross-framed windows on top of the medieval walls.
The castle then came into the hands of Gaspard de Heu who had married Velbrück's granddaughter. A partisan of the Dutch resistance and the House of Orange, de Heu was captured by the Spaniards, accused of heresy and treason, and publicly executed in Luxembourg's fish market in 1593. Philip II of Spain confiscated the property and entrusted it to Peter Ernst Graf von Mansfeld, the governor of Luxembourg. Through marriage, the castle became the property of Henri de Chalon and then Gaspard du Bost-Moulin who had to sell it after being ruined by the Thirty Years War. Acting on behalf of the Spanish king, Johann Baron von Beck, governor of Luxembourg, bought most of the property in 1639. He initiated the construction of the Renaissance castle in 1643 but after he died of injuries from the Battle of Lens in 1648, the work was completed by his son in 1649.
After various changes in ownership including Pierre de Coumont (1774) and Jean Théodore Baron de Tornaco-Vervoy (1781), the castle was abandoned, fell into disrepair and at the beginning of the 19th century was even used as a quarry. In 1850, it was listed by the State as a national monument. In 1893, the new owner Henri Even restored the new building and, in 1928, Edmond Linkels cleared the rubble away and opened the medieval castle to visitors. In 1981, the property was acquired by the State.
The castle today
The ruins of the medieval castle are open to visitors every day from Easter until 1 November from 9 am to 6 pm.

Bettendorf Castle is located in the village of Bettendorf in eastern Luxembourg. While there appears to have been a castle from the 13th century, today's Baroque building dates from 1728 and was restored in 1962. The castle is privately owned and cannot be visited.
History
In 1931, Theodore “Teddy” Bettendorf immigrated to America from Luxembourg. Overlooking the town of Fox River Grove, he began building a castle that took over 36 years of dedication and hard work. As a boy, Teddy learned his masonry skills from watching a historic castle being rebuilt in his hometown of Vianden, Luxembourg. In his building of the castle, he collected stones from such places as local farmers’ fields, stone quarries, and the excavation of Lake Julian. In addition to the castle itself, there is a water-filled moat, a wishing well, a working drawbridge, an outside bathroom and sink, an outdoor fireplace, an observation tower,  and a courtyard. Since its completion, the Bettendorf Castle has been used as a honeymoon suite, for the filming of commercials, various civic events, and as a private residence.
http://www.bettendorfcastle.com/

Bettendorf Castle

Larochette Castle stands high above the town of Larochette in central Luxembourg. Dating from the 11th century, the castle was destroyed by fire at the end of the 16th century. Since its acquisition by the State of Luxembourg in 1979, some restoration work has been undertaken.
Location
The castle ruins are located on a promontory some 150 metres above the White Ernz which runs through the small town of Larochette. The access road crosses a large farmyard with fortified earthworks. The main building is surrounded by a wall, now partly destroyed. A deep ditch divides the castle into two parts. At the far end of the promontory, the remains of several manor houses attest to the high quality of the architecture and its rather pompous style.
History
The earliest references to the castle are from the end of the 11th century and during the 12th century when the lords of Larochette (Van der Feltz) were flag bearers for the counts of Luxembourg. The family proliferated leading to the construction of the five stately houses which are separate from the main structure. They include the Homburg Manor (1350) and the Créhange Manor (1385) both of which have now been restored. The Verlorenkost (literally Lost Food) watchtower also stands alone on the south side. The legend goes that the cook was carrying pots full of food when she stumbled, breaking everything.
The Créhange manor now contains period artwork. There is a well inside which also has its legend, telling how the lady of the castle jumped into the well with her child while the castle was under attack. After rescuing the brave woman, the invaders accused the steward of the castle of treason and threw him into the well. It is said that he reappears every Good Friday in the form of a dragon.
Visiting times
The castle is open to the public from Easter until the end of October, every day from 10 am to 6 pm.

Larochette Castle

Meysembourg Castle is located some 2 km south-west of Larochette in central Luxembourg. While the site has a history dating back to the 12th century, today's castle was built in 1880 in Neo-Renaissance style and is privately owned.
History
The Meysembourg family is first mentioned in the 12th century when Dame de Meysembourg was in the service of Ermesinde, Countess of Luxembourg. Historic references show that Walter de Meysembourg was the propretor in 1176 and Eberhart de Maysembourg in 1296. In 1443, the castle was destroyed by Philip the Good but was rebuilt before 1500. It was again destroyed by Maréchal de Boufflers troops in 1683–84. All that remains of the former castle are the chapel, the moat and part of the outer wall. Custine de Wiltz, the last in line to inherit the property, fled during the French invasion in 1794. Following a public auction in 1798, the castle fell into the hands of the Lords of Fischbach, Cassal and finally Jean-François Reuter of Heddersdorf who occupied the village after expelling its inhabitants.
After buying the property in 1855, the Prince of Arenberg demolished it in 1880 and built a new castle in Neo-Renaissance style. In 1971, the State architect Charles Arendt carried out restoration work. In 1974 the property was sold to Alphonse Spiegelburg. After his death, important restoration work was carried out from 2014 to 2016, funded by the State. The castle and surrounding area is now in the property of the Clasen family.
The castle today
The castle is privately owned and is not open to visitors. However, the possibility exists, that the castle will be turned into a hotel.

Meysembourg Castle

Fischbach Castle is a castle in Luxembourg. It is situated near the town of Fischbach, in central Luxembourg.
History
Fischbach has the longest history of any of Luxembourg's castles. The Abbey of Echternach, the wealthiest institution in Luxembourg for centuries, was the first owner of the estate of Fischbach. Records show the first liege independent of the Church took possession of the castle in 1050. The castle underwent several renovations and alterations, including complete destruction in 1635, during the Thirty Years' War.
During the second quarter of the 19th century, industrialist and metallurgist Auguste Garnier owned the castle and turned the estate into an industrial centre by constructing blast furnaces there. Grand Duke William II was the first head of state to own the castle in 1847, when he bought the estate to consolidate his political control of Luxembourg and to placate the local populace after the Belgian Revolution. He immediately ordered the demolition of Garnier's blast furnaces.
In 1884, Duke Adolphe of Nassau, who would become Grand Duke of Luxembourg when the personal union of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ended in 1890, bought Fischbach Castle from Grand Duke William III.
During the Nazi occupation of the Second World War, Fischbach served as a rest home for German artists, calling it Künstlerheim Fischbach. Despite this designation, Fischbach did not avoid the looting of art and historic artefacts that befell other palaces in Luxembourg. However, unlike the other palaces, it was not renovated or partly demolished to suit the Nazis' intentions, leaving it habitable by Grand Duchess Charlotte upon her return from exile.
Due to the unsuitability of the other royal palaces, Charlotte continued to live at Fischbach after the war, and took a liking to the place. Even after the full restoration of Berg Castle and the Grand Ducal Palace, Grand Duchess Charlotte lived at Fischbach for the rest of her reign. Indeed, even after she abdicated, in 1964, she remained at Fischbach until her death in 1985. Two years after Charlotte's death, Prince Henri and Princess Maria Teresa moved into the castle, where they lived until Henri succeeded his father, Jean, as Grand Duke, in 2000. Grand Duke Jean lived at Fischbach until his death on 23 April 2019. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie moved into Fischbach Castle in late 2019 upon returning to Luxembourg after living in London for one year.

Fischbach Castle

Vianden Castle, located in Vianden in the north of Luxembourg, is one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine. With origins dating from the 10th century, the castle was built in the Romanesque style from the 11th to 14th centuries. Gothic transformations and trimmings were added at the end of this period. A Renaissance mansion was added in the 17th century but thereafter the castle was allowed to fall into ruins. It has, however, recently been fully restored and is open to visitors.
Location
Set on a rocky promontory, the castle stands at a height of 310 metres (1,020 ft), dominating the town of Vianden and overlooking the River Our about one hundred metres (330 ft) below. The castle and its dependent buildings have a total length of 90 metres (300 ft).
History
The castle was built on the site of an ancient Roman castellum. The basement appears to have been a Carolingian refuge. Historically, the first Count of Vianden was mentioned in 1090. The castle continued to be the seat of the Vianden's influential counts until the beginning of the 15th century.
Around 1100, a square keep was built as well as a kitchen, a chapel and residential rooms indicating that an aristocratic family lived there at the time. During the first half of the 12th century, a new residential tower and a prestigious decagonal chapel were added while the palace itself was extended. At the beginning of the 13th century, a new two-storey palace measuring 10 by 13 metres (33 by 43 ft) was built with a sumptuous gallery connecting it to the chapel. These additions show how the Counts of Vianden sought to rival the House of Luxembourg. The last great change took place in the middle of the 13th century when the entire castle was adapted to reflect the Gothic style. Finally, in 1621 the Nassau Mansion with its banqueting hall and bedroom was built by Prince Maurice of Orange-Nassau-Vianden in the Renaissance style replacing a damaged side wing of the 11th century keep.
During the 16th century, the castle was more or less abandoned by the Counts of Vianden who had gained the additional title of the House of Nassau-Orange after Elisabeth, the granddaughter of Henry II of Vianden had willed the County of Vianden together with its castle to her cousin, Count Engelbert of Nassau. This initiated the long association between Vianden and the House of Nassau. In 1564, William the Silent, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau and of Vianden, took an initial interest in Vianden where he built the first blast furnace in Luxembourg but left in 1566 to lead the Dutch revolt against King Philip II of Spain. As a result, Philip confiscated the castle and conferred it on Peter Ernst von Mansfeld, the governor of Luxembourg.
In 1820, King William I sold the castle to Wenzel Coster, an alderman, for 3,200 florins. Coster started to demolish the building, selling off the tiles from the roof, the wooden panelling, the doors and the windows piece by piece. Soon the castle was a ruin.
Restoration
Such was the indignation of his subjects at the mistreatment of the castle that in 1827 the king, himself a Count of Vianden, repurchased the ruin for 1,100 florins hoping to begin restoration work. Unfortunately, his time was taken up with the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and it was not until 1851 that Prince Henry of the Netherlands reconstructed the chapel at his own expense, giving it a lower roof. When Adolphe of Nassau-Weilbourg became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890, he charged Bobo Ebhardt, a German specialist, with further restoration. Although Ebhardt succeeded in making important progress, his work was interrupted by the First World War.
During the Second World War, in the Battle of Vianden which took place on November 19, 1944, the castle was ably defended against the Waffen-SS by members of the Luxembourg Resistance against the Nazi occupation, and proved to have some military value even under conditions of modern warfare.
It was not until 1962 that consideration was again given to restoration, resulting in reconstruction of the Armory. Further progress was hampered by questions of the castle's ownership. Only after Grand Duke Jean had ceded the castle to the State in 1977 did work continue. In 1978, attention turned to rebuilding the walls, the gables and the roof. In 1979, the chapel was also given a new roof and restored to reflect its original Gothic appearance, which had been lost during the fire of 1667 caused by lightning. The white tower was also reinforced and topped with a conical roof. Finally, after the Nassau Mansion was fully restored in 1981–82, efforts were made to refurnish the interior as authentically as possible. This work was completed in 1990.
The castle today
The castle is open to visitors throughout the year from 10 am to 4 pm every day. In March and October, the closing time is extended to 5 pm and in the summer months to 6 pm. Guided tours are also available.

Vianden Castle

Erpeldange Castle, located in the town of the same name in north-eastern Luxembourg, now houses the administrative offices for the Commune of Erpeldange, with its grounds open to the public. It has a history dating back to the 13th century.
History
During the 12th century, there appears to have been a tower and wooden fort at the site of the present castle. In the 13th century, Frederic and Gerard d'Erpeldange, the first lords of Erpeldange, built a fortified stone castle guarding the valley at the point where the River Sûre meets the Alzette. The property passed successively into the hands of the Counts of Vianden, and the Brandenburg-Outscheid and von Moestroff-Kerpen families. Through marriage, the Gondersdorf family inherited the castle and in 1630 transformed it into a luxurious residence for their daughter. In 1677, it was inherited by Charles François baron de Failly de Sancy and Marie Marguerite de Giraldin. By that time, it was no longer of any military value as a quiet park had replaced its defences. Abandoned by the Prel family in the 19th century, it was used as a rectory. During the Second World War, the castle was damaged as a result of its use first by the Germans and then by American troops. The castle changed hands a number of times until it was acquired by the State in 1983. The commune's administrative offices have been housed there since 1987. The building still contains two fine Renaissance fireplaces.

The Chateau is not the typical castle built on a high point for good protection, it is on flat land, although surrounded by walls which probably did provide some protection. The other function of a Chateau was to serve as the residence and principal operating location of the Lord of the Manor.
The first Chateau, which probably was quite different than the present one, is believed to have been built by the Knights Frederich and Gerard d'Erpeldange, first seigneurs d'Erpeldange, vassaux de Compte de Vianden, in 1247-1252. about 1437 it passed by decree to Louis Brandenburg-Outscheid and the family von Moestroff-Kerpen. The latter added the name von Gondersdorf (source unknown) and came to be known as the Gondersdorf family.
The new Chateau was built in 1630 for a daughter of the Gondersdorf family. In 1677 the Chateau was passed in marriage to the Charles Francois baron de Failly de Sancy and Marie Marguerite de Giraldin. In 1691 it was again passed in marriage, this time to to Gerard baron du Prel de Chapois and Marie Madeleine de Failly daughter of the Charles Francois baron de Failly.
he Chateau from 1840 to 1882 was owned by the Church of Erpeldange and was occupied by the local priest Joseph Kalbersch until 1858. It also served part time as the parish church. The Chateau was passed In 1882 to the Dutch M. Willem Keun family of the Haye in exchange for the construction of a new Church, a Presbytery and a Cemetery. In 1903 the Chateau was owned by Michel Thilges of Wiltz. During the second World War the Chateau was occupied in turn by German and American troops and was badly damaged. In recent years the Chateau has been owned and occupied by the Bos family. When the Bos family purchased the property there was very little remaining but the walls. A governess for a deceased former owner, unhappy with her inheritance, had deliberately burned many of the furnishings and documents.
http://www.duprel.com/

Erpeldange Castle

Brandenbourg Castle, now a ruin, is located on a promontory some 70 metres above the village of Brandenbourg in north-eastern Luxembourg. It has a history going back to the 9th and 10th centuries when there was a wooden fort on the site. The 13th century keep, now 11.9 metres high, used to have four floors, only three of which remain. In 1668, the French attacked the castle which subsequently fell increasingly into ruin. It is now owned by the Luxembourg State.
Location
The castle is located high above the crossroads of the road from the River Sûre up into the Ardennes and that from Bourscheid to Vianden. The site, measuring 35 by 95 metres, consists of the main castle and of a lower courtyard.
History
Archaeological digs provide evidence of a wooden fort dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. The first buildings of stone are from the 13th century. In the 14th century a chapel was added to the castle. And during the 15th and 16th centuries the castle was expanded and a bailey, two towers, vaulted cellars and curtain walls were added.
The castle was inhabited until the middle of the 18th century. Like many other medieval castles, it was then abandoned and left to fall into ruin. In 1936 and during the 1950s, the State carried out basic consolidation work. Since the 1980s, all necessary consolidation work has been performed while archaeologists have continued to explore the site for further evidence of the castle's history.
The castle today
The ruin is accessible to the public, between 9 am and 5 pm every day.

Brandenbourg Castle

The castle is one of the most important buildings in the municipality of Schieren, with cultural and architectural value.
Parts of the castle date back to the 13th century. Built by Gaspard-Florent de Breiderbach, the building was owned for years by the de Blochhausen family, including former Luxembourg prime minister Baron Félix de Blochhausen. He was born at the castle in March 1834 and died there in November 1915.
In the Second World War, the castle was used as a base for US troops. Since then the owners have changed frequently but always within the family, with 1990 members of the de Blochhausen family calling the castle home. It was loaned to a doctor from 1990 to 2002 - since then it has stood empty.
Following the death of the last official proprietor in 2018, a Luxembourg ONG inherited the castle and surrounding land. The government classed it as a national monument in January last year.
https://today.rtl.lu/

Birtrange Castle

Berg Castle, also called Colmar-Berg, is the principal residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. It is situated in the town of Colmar-Berg, in central Luxembourg, near the confluence of the Alzette and the Attert, two of Luxembourg's most important rivers.
History
The estate at Colmar-Berg first came into the possession of the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg in 1845. The Belgian Revolution had divided Luxembourg from the Netherlands, and also into two, undermining Dutch control of the fortress of Luxembourg City. Grand Duke William II sought to establish a suitable Grand Ducal residence in Luxembourg, hoping that a division of his time between The Hague and Luxembourg would placate the local, overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, population. To this end, the Grand Duke bought Berg Castle from the Pasquier estate. In 1848, it was recognised as the exclusive home of the Grand Duke by the newly promulgated constitution.
In 1890, the Royal house of the Netherlands and the Grand Ducal house of Luxembourg diverged, and the new Grand Duke, Adolphe, purchased Berg Castle the following year, in order to maintain the Grand Ducal estate at Colmar-Berg. In 1906, William IV had the old castle demolished and a new one constructed in its place, designed by the Munich-based architect Max Ostenrieder and the local Pierre Funck-Eydt. Work on the new castle began in 1907, and was completed on the 9th of september 1911, after which it became the primary residence of the Grand Ducal family.
During the Great Depression, the Grand Ducal family fell upon hard times. Grand Duchess Charlotte sought an agreement with the government of Luxembourg under which the Grand Duchy might divest personal properties to the government, which would then allow the Grand Ducal family to use them as official residences. In 1934, such an arrangement was reached on Berg Castle, with the castle changing hands (along with much of the Grünewald forest). The two properties changed hands for 40m francs, of which 20m francs were denoted for the castle; this was viewed by the government as an undervaluation (as was the price of the Grünewald), as they had assessed the castle as being worth 22m francs. Berg is now one of two properties covered by similar agreements (the other being the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City). The right of Grand Dukes to reside at these two residences is enshrined in Article 44 of the Constitution of Luxembourg.
During the Second World War, the castle was occupied by Nazi Germany. During this period, the most valuable works of art were stolen from the castle, and the building itself underwent major alterations to suit the Nazis' purpose of re-educating local girls. After the war, the restoration of the castle took several years, and it was only re-occupied by the Grand Ducal family in 1964, when Grand Duke Jean acceded to the throne. Until then, the Grand Duchess resided in Fischbach Castle, although this was mostly out of preference, rather than necessity.
Births
Three of the past four monarchs of Luxembourg were born at Berg Castle:
Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde (born 1894; reigned 1912–19)
Grand Duchess Charlotte (born 1896; reigned 1919–64)
Grand Duke Jean (born 1921; reigned 1964–2000)
Princess Marie Gabriele of Luxembourg (born 1925)
The current Grand Duke, Henri, was born at Betzdorf Castle, in eastern Luxembourg.