Burg Kempen, Castle in Kempen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Burg Kempen is a brick castle in central Kempen featuring strong towers and thick walls built in late medieval style. The structure consists of multiple wings arranged around an inner courtyard, showing how defensive buildings of the 14th century were organized.

An archbishop ordered the construction of this structure at the end of the 14th century to protect the northern border of a large diocese. After a fire in the 19th century, it was rebuilt with new architectural elements.

Today the structure stands as a landmark that shapes how people see the town center of Kempen. Its conversion to public use has kept it relevant to the community and woven into everyday life.

The castle stands in the northeastern part of Kempen's old town, its exterior grounds open to the public at any time. The interior can only be visited by prior arrangement. Since August 2022 the building has housed courses of the Kreisvolkshochschule, after the Kreisarchiv Viersen moved out.

During a major restoration in the middle of the 19th century, Gothic style elements were deliberately added to the design even though the original came from an earlier period. This intentional blending of different time periods makes the structure an interesting example of how people approached old buildings in that era.