Former Castle

The rule of the Schönberg was established by the Prüm Abbey and fortified with a castle presumably in the 11th or 12th century. In 1689, troops of Louis XIV destroyed the castle. It was located above the village on a hill. All that remains are a few vestiges of the walls, part of the moat and a Gothic fragment of the castle chapel, which can be found in the "Herrjottsjärtchen" at the former site of the castle chapel. All other remains are mostly on private property.

Some relics of the castle can be seen in the Hotel Schmiede: the hotel's masonry consists entirely of stone torn down from the castle, the café has ceiling beams, and the bar has a crest of a former price-elector built into the wall.

The free citizens lived around the castle hill, but still inside the circular wall. According to legend, in the 14th century, Count Otto allowed the poorest farmers to settle here in order to keep his “peasant warriors” around at all times. Today, this complex is called a "Bürgerschaft" (township) and is therefore reminiscent of the farmers who lived here.

As a reminder of this important time for the area, a symbolic tower with an information board was erected at the approximate location of the castle at that time.