Burg Are overlooks Altenahr, a town along the Ahr River which flows into the Rhein River north of Koblenz. These photos were taken in 2008.
The castle was first mentioned in records in 1121, having been built by Count Theodoric of Are at the start of the century.
The castle came into the possession of the Archbishop of Koln, who served as a Holy Roman Empire elector. The castle was extended in the 14-15th century and was used as a prison while concurrently serving as the cultural center of the area. The chapel which was of Romanesque design is still partly intact and has had some restoration work done to it.
The castle fell into disrepair in the late 1500s, with the owners having fled to better quarters in neighboring towns. However, a new owner, Henry Pfandschaft von der Horst committed himself to repairing the structure and by his death in 1625 it had been rebuilt.
The castle was besieged for nine months by the French in 1690, being heavily damaged by cannon bombardment. Having been occupied by the French and partly rebuilt, the Archbishop of Koln campaigned against it and captured it in 1714. To ensure it could not be taken back and used, the structure was mined and blown up. The heavy damage from ths is obvious to this day.
Below left and right, the walk way to the castle. Find the small path marked with a very small sign and hike up the narrow trail.
