Altes Schloss (Scheiden)

Altes Schloss
Losheim am See - Scheiden in Germany
Site information
ConditionRuins
Location
Coordinates49°32′45″N 6°44′18″E / 49.545707°N 6.738207°E / 49.545707; 6.738207
Site history
Built12th to 13th Century


The Altes Schloss, or Old Castle in English, is the ruin of a high medieval hilltop castle near Scheiden, a district of the municipality of Losheim am See in the Merzig-Wadern district in Saarland, Germany.

The remains of the walls of the historically untraceable castle complex are located on a small hill, approximately half a kilometer east of the village center of Scheiden. A clearly distinguishable upper castle, situated at the edge of a high plateau and protected by a ditch, can be seen from a larger lower castle, situated about 10 meters lower on a projecting hillside terrace. The upper castle is roughly rectangular and had a stronger shield wall facing the vulnerable side. In the lower castle, at the southernmost point, are the remains of a slightly elevated rectangular building, as well as traces of a curtain wall with a gate on the eastern side.

There is no documentary evidence for the castle site (the name "Old Castle" is post-medieval ). However, based on the layout and remaining walls, it can be dated to the 12th or 13th century.