Burgruine Ulmen
Ulmen
The lower castle has completely disappeared. The beginnings of the ring, which was connected to the lower castle and the city wall of Ulmen, can still be seen, as well as a two-storey outer wall of the palace, a cistern and a few foundation walls of other buildings. The old part of the castle in Ulmen was built around 1,074 AD and very probably rests on the remains of a Roman settlement. In the Middle Ages, the castle in Ulmen was further extended and divided into the upper castle, the wall remains of which still exist, and the lower castle, which extended to the banks of the Maar. Two knightly dynasties inhabited the castle, which is believed never to have been attacked or destroyed until 1673 due to its size. Only the troops of the Sun King managed to do so. It was rebuilt, only to fall again in the War of Succession in 1689. But this time, too, Ulmen Castle was rebuilt, only the city wall was abandoned. The invasion of Napoleon's soldiers also caused Ulmen to become French and later Prussian. The empty castle, whose last descendant died in 1801, was sold at auction to a Cochem merchant who marketed it as a quarry. When a devastating fire burnt down Ulmen in the 19th century, the people of Ulmen rebuilt their houses with stones from the castle. That is why you can still see a coat of arms on many a stable today. It was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that Ulmen Castle was placed under a preservation order and became the property of the local community of Ulmen. The castle is freely accessible at all times.