Germany can rightfully be called the country of medieval fortresses: almost 25 thousand ancient fortifications of various degrees of conservation are located on its territory. Over time, they deteriorated, underwent restructuring, they were filled with copies of lost interior details. In this regard, Burg Eltz Castle can be called authentic, because for several centuries of its existence it has never been plundered, managed to preserve its interior, including wall murals and furniture (usually the most prone to destruction). An uncharacteristic location, a rich history, many ancient artifacts, pristine nature - all this from April to November, when Burg Eltz is open to visitors, attracts lovers of genuine antiquity to these places.
General information about the castle and its owners
Burg Eltz was built at the beginning of the XII century on the land of Reyland-Pfalz, near Koblenz, on a low cliff in the deep valley of the Elzbach River. Initially, it was conceived as a kind of customs point on the trade route from the Moselle to Eifel: it usually housed soldiers to guard merchants and their goods. For the first time, Eltz was mentioned in a letter of 1157 signed by Frederick I of Hohenstaufen Barbarossa - the Roman emperor, king of Swabia and Germany: this year is considered to be the transfer of the fortress to private ownership. The first owners, the brothers Wilhelm, Theodorich and Elias Eltz, gave rise to three aristocratic clans: Kempenihov, Ryubenakhov and Rodendorf.
In the XVIII century. Kempenichi remained the only heirs of Burg Eltz and since then have carefully preserved it, spending impressive amounts on restoration and preservation of collections. The current owner of the castle, Karl Eltsky, prefers to live in another place, and converted his ancestral nest into a private museum and a unique platform for shooting historical films.
Architecture and interior
Burg Eltz Castle combines elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque style. The most ancient building is the Gothic Ryubenach Plattelts house, which includes the ruins of the first palace and the donjon. The Rodendorf part is located on the south side: it is distinguished by the presence of Romanesque columns, snow-white balconies, and facing with Ufalean marble. The Kempenichi estates, based on octagonal basalt pillars and decorated with many arched openings, are impressive.
It seems that Burg Eltz was randomly blinded from different heights of towers and houses, so it has a bizarre and asymmetric appearance. Each owner was building new premises for his needs, never coordinating changes with other residents, so the castle has 3 kitchens, more than 100 chambers and rooms for various purposes and decoration. Here you can see authentic medieval murals, wall panels and tiles, well-preserved carpets, furniture, weapons and knightly armor. The most popular rooms are:
- Armory with a rich collection of military attributes and ammunition
- Knightly
- The lower one, where the interior of an aristocratic dwelling is recreated, including original tapestries, paintings by Dutch and German artists
- Upper, probably serving as a bedroom, with a majestic bed draped in a canopy with images of jousting
- A large hall for family celebrations, decorated with a lot of secret signs and symbols. It is noteworthy that one could get here directly from any part of the castle.
It is especially worth highlighting the treasury - it is she who makes the greatest impression on the guests of Burg Elz. Here are collected magnificent examples of jewelry art of the 12th-19th centuries, many of which can be safely attributed to world masterpieces.
The object belongs to castles.
