Eyneburg Castle

Eyneburg Castle, locally also known as Emmaburg, lies in a forest south of the town of Neu-Moresnet, in the Liège province in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Eyneburg Castle was built sometime in the 13th century above the Geul River valley and was owned by the knights of Eyneburghe. Its local name, Emmaburg, dates back to a 19th-century legend claiming that Emma, a daughter of Charlemagne, secretly met her lover, Einhard, a biographer of Charlemagne, here.

During the 15th century, the castle passed first to the Bongaert family and later to the Tzevel family. Through marriage, it came into the possession of the Donraedt family in the 16th century.

In 1640, Eyneburg Castle was largely destroyed by fire but was subsequently rebuilt. Over the following centuries, the castle changed hands many times.

In 1897, the castle was bought by Theodor Nellessen, a fabric merchant from Aachen. He commissioned a major restoration, carried out by architect Louis Arntz, which gave the castle its current neo-Gothic appearance. In 1958, the Nellessen family sold the castle and auctioned off its entire interior.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the castle was used as a venue for themed events. In 2018, Eyneburg Castle was listed for sale for just €2,800,000. I don't know whether it was sold.

Currently, the castle is closed and appears to be vacant. Visits used to be possible; hopefully, it will reopen in the future. Its exterior still looks promising.

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