Schloss Ahaus

To make a day of it

Schloss Ahaus stands in Ahaus (Kreis Borken), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Admission is free. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Schloss Ahaus stands at the heart of the town, a few steps from the pedestrian zone, on the site of a medieval stronghold that belonged to the lords of Ahaus before passing to the prince-bishop of Münster in 1406. The present building, a baroque hunting lodge, was raised between 1688 and 1695 for Prince-Bishop Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg, and later given a central projecting section with a grand outdoor staircase in the 1760s. Gutted by a bombing raid in 1945 and later rebuilt, it now houses a technical academy and stands next to the local court, with a school museum and a local history museum nearby.

What to know

• The grounds can be explored freely, on a path that circles the building.
• Interior visits are only possible by appointment, as part of a guided tour arranged through the local tourist office.
• The building now houses a technical academy and is not open to the public as a museum.
• A school museum and a local history museum stand right next to it, in the former gatehouse.
• Concerts have regularly been held in the princes' hall since 1952.

Practical information

Visit duration

Not verified

Wheelchair access

Not verified

Dogs

Not verified

Parking

Mehrere kostenpflichtige Parkplätze in unmittelbarer Nähe zum Schloss Ahaus und in der angrenzenden Innenstadt, bezahlbar per App EasyPark

Where this château is

Ahaus · Kreis Borken · Nordrhein-Westfalen

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Ahaus, Kreis Borken

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

Get directionsView on a map

Heritage status

Baudenkmal in Nordrhein-Westfalen

Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme

Frequently asked

Schloss Ahaus: how much is admission?

Admission is free. Free for: besichtigung der Außenanlage kostenfrei für alle.

Can you visit the inside of Schloss Ahaus?

Only by appointment, as part of a guided tour arranged through the local tourist office; the exterior can be explored freely at any time.

Who had Schloss Ahaus built?

Prince-Bishop of Münster Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg, who had it erected as a hunting lodge between 1688 and 1695.

What happened to the castle in 1945?

It was hit during a bombing raid and burned out completely, losing its original baroque interior, before later being rebuilt.

What is Schloss Ahaus used for today?

It houses a technical academy and stands next to the town's local court.

Is there a museum at Schloss Ahaus?

A school museum and a local history museum occupy the former gatehouses adjoining the castle.

Sources

Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Land's heritage lists.

• This entry in Markdown
• Wikidata Q969973
• Official website

Within an hour’s drive

• Haus HorstHeek · Kreis Borken
• Burg Ottenstein (Ottenstein Castle)Ahaus · Kreis Borken
• Haus EgelborgLegden · Kreis Borken
• BarenborgRosendahl · Kreis Coesfeld
• Burg Nienborg (Nienborg Castle)Heek · Kreis Borken
• HünenburgStadtlohn · Kreis Borken

The most visited in this department — Kreis Borken

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