When was Burg Schwalenberg built?

It was built between 1228 and 1231 under Count Volkwin III of Schwalenberg, around the same time the neighbouring town was founded.

Can you visit Burg Schwalenberg today?

The building is not a museum open to visitors, it now contains holiday apartments and a café, though the hilltop itself can be reached on foot.

What remains of the medieval stronghold?

The keep was torn down in 1618 and the old fortress was replaced by a Renaissance residential wing built in 1627/28, of which only one wing survives today.

What legend is connected to Burg Schwalenberg?

It is linked to the tale of the Volkwinbrunnen, which tells how two pardoned prisoners managed to channel water from a nearby spring down to the town.

Where is Burg Schwalenberg located?

It stands in Schieder-Schwalenberg, in the Kreis Lippe, North Rhine-Westphalia, on a hill above the town.

Burg Schwalenberg

Schwalenberg Castle

Schieder-Schwalenberg

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Schieder-Schwalenberg

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Burg Schwalenberg stands in Schieder-Schwalenberg (Kreis Lippe), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. No visits are on record for this building.

Burg Schwalenberg stands on a hilltop above the small town of Schwalenberg, in the Kreis Lippe. Founded in the 13th century by the Counts of Schwalenberg, it went through several rebuilding phases, including a late Renaissance residential wing erected in the 1620s on the site of the older stronghold. Later used as a secondary seat of the House of Lippe, then as a rest home and a hotel, the building today contains holiday apartments and a café. Visitors come mainly for the hilltop views and the historic setting rather than for a museum tour.

This place also features in The castles of the Brothers Grimm

What to know

The site is no longer a public museum but houses private holiday apartments and a café.
The hilltop can be reached from the town on foot or by car.
Of the original medieval castle, only a 17th-century wing remains, renovated in the early 20th century.
The place is linked to the Deutsche Märchenstraße through the legend of Count Volkwin's spring.
Forestry work has been carried out on the castle hill in recent years to restore its historic appearance.

Where this château is

Schieder-Schwalenberg · Kreis Lippe · Nordrhein-Westfalen

Map of the area around Burg Schwalenberg

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Schieder-Schwalenberg, Kreis Lippe

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

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Heritage status: Baudenkmal in Nordrhein-Westfalen

In pictures

Frequently asked

When was Burg Schwalenberg built?: It was built between 1228 and 1231 under Count Volkwin III of Schwalenberg, around the same time the neighbouring town was founded.
Can you visit Burg Schwalenberg today?: The building is not a museum open to visitors, it now contains holiday apartments and a café, though the hilltop itself can be reached on foot.
What remains of the medieval stronghold?: The keep was torn down in 1618 and the old fortress was replaced by a Renaissance residential wing built in 1627/28, of which only one wing survives today.
What legend is connected to Burg Schwalenberg?: It is linked to the tale of the Volkwinbrunnen, which tells how two pardoned prisoners managed to channel water from a nearby spring down to the town.
Where is Burg Schwalenberg located?: It stands in Schieder-Schwalenberg, in the Kreis Lippe, North Rhine-Westphalia, on a hill above the town.