Burg Schermbeck, Medieval water castle in Schermbeck, Germany
Burg Schermbeck is a medieval water castle with a square tower and gatehouse in the Münster region. The entire structure is still surrounded by a complete water moat today.
The castle was founded around 1300 by the Counts of Cleves and has shaped the village landscape ever since. It burned during the Thirty Years' War in 1640 but was rebuilt afterward.
The castle shows the typical style of a lowland fortress, as was common in medieval Northern Germany. This design with the surrounding water was the practical way to build defenses in flat country.
The castle is privately owned, so visits need to be arranged in advance. The best views of the exterior and moat are from the surrounding grounds.
A special feature is the tower at the southwestern corner known as the Diebesturm, which shows the original defense design. This part remains largely unchanged since medieval times and reveals how such fortifications worked.
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