- Starkenburg
Countess Loretta seems to have been as hard as the stones of this medieval castle. At times she even kept the powerful "Kurfürsten" as prisoner here. Relive the past Make your own picture of the past: With the free ARGO app, you can view the castle on site via augmented reality in its original size and in 360° representation. Download the free ARGO app or visit www.ar-route.de.
On a narrow rocky plateau, 125 m long and just 17 m wide between the Mosel and the Ahringsbach lie the remains of the residence of the Sponhiems of the “Upper County”.
Today the road from Enkirch in the north still follows the line of the western ditch past the castle. At right angles to it, much shorter ditches can be seen to the north and the south. Older excavations that were poorly documented uncovered a tower at the highest point at the northern end, and a larger complex consisting of two or three adjoining houses and a tower in the south. The entrance to the fortification was on the south side, from the town and across the southern ditch. A small outer fortification in the north, and a larger one in the south provided extra protection for the castle. The Suburbium (civilian settelement) documented for 1338 was situated in the southern outer works.
The Counts of Sponheim, already recorded in Enkirch for 1125 with “vestem hus” (strong house), took possession of the castle in 1190 as vassals of the Archbishop of Trier. Famously, Countess Loretta of Sponheim held the powerful Bishop of Trier, Baldwin, at the castle for several weeks in 1328, before he submitted to an agreement of atonement and paid a ransom.
Today the road from Enkirch in the north still follows the line of the western ditch past the castle. At right angles to it, much shorter ditches can be seen to the north and the south. Older excavations that were poorly documented uncovered a tower at the highest point at the northern end, and a larger complex consisting of two or three adjoining houses and a tower in the south. The entrance to the fortification was on the south side, from the town and across the southern ditch. A small outer fortification in the north, and a larger one in the south provided extra protection for the castle. The Suburbium (civilian settelement) documented for 1338 was situated in the southern outer works.
The Counts of Sponheim, already recorded in Enkirch for 1125 with “vestem hus” (strong house), took possession of the castle in 1190 as vassals of the Archbishop of Trier. Famously, Countess Loretta of Sponheim held the powerful Bishop of Trier, Baldwin, at the castle for several weeks in 1328, before he submitted to an agreement of atonement and paid a ransom.
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