Burg Nassau Castle, Germany

The Burg Nassau is a medieval castle located on a rock cone above the Lahn river near town of Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The castle was built around year 1100 and in 1120 it passed to Count Ruprecht I of Lauenburg (also known as Rupert I) and his brother Arnold I who in 1124 rebuilt and extended the castle despite the protests of the diocese of Worms. The dispute between the family of the two brothers and the diocese of Worms was settled in 1159 with intervention of Archbishops of Trier.



The Laurenburger count family gave up the allodial title and in return received the Burg Nassau and the town of Nassau as the fiefdom. The Laurenburger family assumed the title Count of Nassau which in 1255 split on two separate branches and the Burg Nassau was divided as well and became a Ganerbenburg or Castle of joint heirs. In the first half of the 14th century the castle's impressive keep was built. Later a second tower was added also but there are no traces visible anymore. Towards the end the counts abandoned the Burg Nassau as their residence and over the next centuries the castle fell into decay.

Between 1971 and 1982 the restoration works were carried out and the castle is today used as a restaurant, however it is open to the visitors.