20 most beautiful medieval castles in Germany

13. Altena Castle – Burg Altena is located in the Lena River valley – the Ruhr flows. According to legend, was built in the XII century, representatives of the Counts of Berg dynasty.

In the last century, the garrison stationed at the castle, a nursing home, a criminal court, a shelter for the poor, prison, hospital, and was founded here in 1912, Germany’s first youth hostel (Jugendherberge) – a special hotel for school groups.

Altena Castle is a Medieval hill castle in the town of Altena in North Rhine-Westphalia. Built on a spur of Klusenberg hill, the castle lies near the Lenne in the Märkischer Kreis.

The castle was erected by the early Counts of Berg in the early 12th century. Eventually, the House of Berg abandoned Altena and moved their residence to Hamm.

Supposedly, the castle was built by the brothers Adolf and Everhard von Berg around the year 1108 after Henry V granted them land in Sauerland. On Wulfseck Mountain they built their castle, which they named Wulfeshagen, later Altena. This is one of the three legends of the establishment of the county of Altena and the building of the castle.