Who built Blankenstein Castle?

Count Adolf I of the Mark ordered its construction in 1226 to secure territory gained after the fall of the House of Isenberg.

Can you visit the inside of Blankenstein Castle?

It is a ruin whose remains, including the 13th-century keep and sections of the curtain wall, are seen in the open air; a restaurant occupies one of the surviving buildings.

Why is Blankenstein Castle a ruin?

The castle gradually decayed in the 16th and 17th centuries; a historicist reconstruction from the late 19th century was then largely demolished in the late 1950s to restore its original appearance.

Where is Blankenstein Castle located?

It stands in Hattingen, in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, on a rocky spur above the river Ruhr.

Blankenstein Castle

Hattingen

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Where: Hattingen

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Burg Blankenstein stands in Hattingen (Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 13th century. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Blankenstein Castle rises on a rocky spur above the Ruhr valley, roughly seventy metres over the river. Built from 1226 on the order of Count Adolf I of the Mark, it was one of the four main strongholds of the House of Mark before falling into decay and being partly rebuilt in historicist style in the 19th century. The non-authentic 19th-century additions were removed at the end of the 1950s, leaving a ruin that still includes a square 13th-century keep and remains of the curtain wall. A restaurant now occupies one of the surviving buildings.

Written from Blankenstein Castle

What to know

The site is a partly cleared ruin, with much of it open to the sky.
A restaurant occupies one of the surviving buildings of the fortress.
Access involves a path uphill above the Ruhr, so expect some incline from the valley.
The site is listed as a Baudenkmal.
Nearby are the Alte Ruhr-Katzenstein nature reserve trail and Haus Kemnade.

Practical information

Visit duration: Not verified
Wheelchair access: Not verified
Dogs: Not verified
Parking: Not verified

On site

Food and drink

Where this château is

Hattingen · Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis · Nordrhein-Westfalen

Map of the area around Burg Blankenstein

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Hattingen, Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Baudenkmal
Period of construction: 13th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Who built Blankenstein Castle?: Count Adolf I of the Mark ordered its construction in 1226 to secure territory gained after the fall of the House of Isenberg.
Can you visit the inside of Blankenstein Castle?: It is a ruin whose remains, including the 13th-century keep and sections of the curtain wall, are seen in the open air; a restaurant occupies one of the surviving buildings.
Why is Blankenstein Castle a ruin?: The castle gradually decayed in the 16th and 17th centuries; a historicist reconstruction from the late 19th century was then largely demolished in the late 1950s to restore its original appearance.
Where is Blankenstein Castle located?: It stands in Hattingen, in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, on a rocky spur above the river Ruhr.