Burg Waterlappe, Castle ruin in Ense, Germany

Burg Waterlappe is a vanished moated castle in Bremen, a district of Ense. It was a large four-winged building surrounded by moats, of which traces remain in the terrain. The castle was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War and not rebuilt.

The castle was built between 1365 and 1370 after the Fürstenberg family lost their earlier seat. It served the family as a residence and administrative center until 1633.

The castle gave its name to a branch of the von Fürstenberg family, whose ancestral seat it remained until 1633. A feudal chamber with noble and non-noble vassals developed here, and the site is still called Burg Waterlappe.

Access to the grounds is free and available year-round, allowing visitors to explore the foundations and moats without restrictions. The open layout enables a complete walk around the site in the open air.

A 19th-century engraving by Fr. Wlh. v. Schorlemer depicts how the fortress appeared before its destruction. This historical image helps visitors today imagine the original structure.