Godesberg Castle

The name Godesberg is derived from Wotanberg from which it had once been a Germanic place of sacrifice. The Wotan cult changed in the course of the Christian era to that of St.Michael.

The castle was founded by Archbishop Theoderich of Cologne in 1210. The Archbishop Konra von Are-Hochstaden added the massive, 10 meter thick tower in the middle of the 13th century. In 1343 Walram von Jülich added to it, making it higher (32 feet) and fortified the entire length of the castle. The Godesberg is one of the greatest military fortresses in the northern part of the Rhineland and, for a very long time, it was the preferred residence of the archbishops of Cologne. In the Cologne War against Archbishop Gebhard Truchsess von Walburg, who had become a convert to Protestanism, it was demolished by the troops of Archbishop Ernst of Bavaria. After being rebuilt once again, it was finally destroyed by the French in 1794.

Today the castle is owned by the town of Bonn-Bad Godesberg. Restaurant and hotel. It is open to the public year round.