Photo: castles, fortresses and palaces, Nanstein in Rhineland-Palatinate , Rhineland-Palatinate

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Nanstein in Rhineland-Palatinate – Castle of the Rebellious Knight

Castles, Fortresses and Palaces

Nanstein Castle is located in the town ofLandstuhl, just 15 kilometers west of the city of Kaiserslautern. Francisof Sickingen (Franz von Sickingen), a rebellious knight who owned it inthe first half of the XVI century, is an important figure in the history of thecastle. He fortified the castle so that it could stand against the recentlyinvented guns, and he went to war with the bishop of Trier. The campaign endedin failure. Sickingen returned to his castle, which was besieged by supportersof the bishop. The protection against guns didn’t help. The castle was badlydamaged, and the knight died of his wounds. In 1600, a Renaissance residence wasbuilt on the site of the castle ruins, which was also destroyed during thecivil wars in the late XVII century.

In the XIX century enthusiasts carried out excavations and were able torestore some parts of the castle. This work lasted to the twentieth century.Thus, the Staircase Tower (Treppenturm) was restored, the courtyard was put intoshape, where flowers were planted and the spaces under the remains of the wallswere covered with panel boards. Today, the dilapidated, but still beautifulpalace is all that remained of those distant times. It’s worth a visit to feelthe breath of history. The trip will not be too tedious, as it is only sometwenty minutes’ drive from the center of Kaiserslautern.

Nanstein in Rhineland-Palatinate – Castle of the Rebellious Knight

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