Schloss Sonsfeld

Schloss Sonsfeld is a manor house in Rees near the Lower Rhine that is now called Blaues Haus and remains in private hands. The structure with its corner towers and gate tower dominates the grounds, which sit within an expansive Baroque garden landscape.

The estate is first documented in 1368 under Steven von Wittenhorst, with the original castle dismantled by 1707. New buildings subsequently rose on the site, continuing the property's role under new purposes.

The grounds display traces of a Baroque garden with preserved water basins and tree-lined avenues that reveal how residents once shaped their surroundings. These plantings reflect the aesthetic choices of past owners across the centuries.

The property is privately owned and not open to visitors. Parts of the surrounding gardens are visible from public roads, which allows glimpses of the historical park layout.

A tree-lined avenue called the Turmallee runs in a straight line across the property and creates a sight line to the Battenbergturm. This planned connection demonstrates how the von Wittenhorst-Sonsfeld family visually linked their separate holdings.