Burg Monschau

Burg Monschau stands on a rocky height above the surrounding hills, with thick stone walls and a closed courtyard. The castle began as a protective stronghold for a nearby monastery. The counts of Montjoie built it, and records place its first mention in the early thirteenth century. Its main castle later gained ring walls and covered defensive walkways.

A forecourt added a large gate tower, four corner towers, and the northern Eselsturm. Sieges in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries damaged the fortress and left parts destroyed. The roofs disappeared during the nineteenth century, and the complex then fell into decay. The community eventually secured the site and repaired its surviving structure.

After the First World War, the west wing housed a youth hostel. The stone buildings form a tight ring around the courtyard and rise beside steep slopes. From the walls, you can see far across the surrounding hills and valley. Concerts and gatherings use the courtyard, giving the historic enclosure a public role. At Burg Monschau, rough masonry, towers, and defensive passages show how the fortress protected this elevated site.