Schoenfels Castle

Schoenfels Castle lies in the village of the same name, south of the town of Mersch in Luxembourg. It is situated in the valley of the Mamer stream, and is one of the castles belonging to the Valley of the 7 Castles. The other 6 castles are; Koerich, Septfontaines, Ansembourg, New Ansembourg, Hollenfels and Mersch.

Schoenfels Castle was built as a fortified keep in 1292 by a Ferri, alias Friedrich von Schoenfels. Later the castle passed to the Von Ansembourg family through marriage and later still to the Von Sassenheim family.

At the beginning of the 16th century a Henri Schloeder von Lachen became Lord of Schoenfels.

Even though Schoenfels Castle had no real strategical purpose, the French army demolished its defenses in 1683. In 1690 the castle and the village were burned to the ground during a battle between Theodor von Neunheuser and the Lords of Brandenbourg.

A descendant of Von Neunheuser sold the castle in 1813 to JB. Thorn-Suttor, who was governor of Luxembourg during the Belgian period between 1831-1839. In 1818 he also bought Hollenfels Castle.

In 1840 he sold both castles to J. Engler, a senator from Brussels. His son-in-law, the Baron A. Goethals built a mansion beside the keep. He probably also gave the medieval keep its neo-Gothic roof.

A couple of other owners followed until 1971 when the castle became state property. In 1976 the state tore down the 19th century mansion beside the keep.

At present the keep is said to be renovated, although I didn't see any evidence of recent work activity, so it is inaccessible. You can freely walk through the gardens and the courtyard. It's a nice keep, too bad I couldn't get inside.

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