Photos courtesy of Burg Schnellenberg
An important trading route in the Sauerland passed through this area, compelling Cologne’s Archbishop Engelbert von Berg to build a castle on the site in 1222. Subsequent owners during the next 100 years fortified the castle even further.
In 1594 Caspar von Fürstenberg bought the property and constructed much of what you see today.
Pamela’s Perspective
An inscription on Caspar von Fürstenberg’s coat of arms reads: Foris non maneat peregrinus/Ostium meum pateat via Tori. Translation: “Stranger, don’t stay outside, my door is open for the traveler.” So appropriate is this motto for today. Schnellenberg is a wonderful castle hotel: accommodations are comfortable, the medieval ambience is maintained without being over the top, and the welcome is warm indeed.
Burg Schnellenberg
A 13th-century castle
Contact
D-57439 Attendorn
Tel: ++ 49 (0) 2722 6940
Fax: ++ 49 (0) 2722 6941 69
Hotel website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
42 rooms; tower room
Single rooms: 95–145 euros
Double rooms: 120–200 euros
Tower room; 200 euros
Rates include breakfast, tax,
and service.
Open: February to December
Getting there
Attendorn is east of Cologne. From there, take the A-4 autobahn east, go north on the A-45 autobahn and exit at Meinerzhagen. Attendorn is 14 km east. Attendorn is served by rail.
What to do
On site: tennis; fishing; spa
Nearby: hiking; golf
Weddings
Yes. Chapel on site
Burg Schnellenberg is one of mightiest fortresses in Westphalia. Massive gateways, stone bridges, beamed ceilings, high vaulted ceilings, and tower rooms transport you back to medieval times.
Interiors suggest a certain German heartiness with fireplaces that crackle and stag horns that gaze down from the walls.
The majority of guest rooms are quite large and handsomely furnished. The tower room is the best room in the castle. The upper floors are the oldest with stuccoed beamed ceilings.
The former brewery now houses (what else?) a cozy bar, decorated with family coats of arms, and a pleasant garden is a perfect place in which to relax.
Something special
Castle museum with 17th-century artifacts