Burg Schnellenberg, Medieval castle in Attendorn, Germany

Burg Schnellenberg is a hilltop castle above the Bigge valley near Attendorn, built from 1222 as a Cologne protective fortress. Its grey and brown stone wings enclose small courtyards; a broad main wing with many small windows and a long dark grey roof faces an upper block with a domed lantern tower, while a square tower with a steep pyramidal roof rises on the left. The complex was rebuilt in Renaissance style after 1594.

Archbishop Engelbert von Berg of Cologne founded Burg Schnellenberg in 1222 alongside the fortification of Attendorn, to guard the Heidenstraße trade route; an agreement with the Count of Mark granted him two castle fiefs. After the 1288 Battle of Worringen, Johann I von Plettenberg had the castle rebuilt and strengthened around 1291 with help from Attendorn's citizens. In 1594 Caspar von Fürstenberg acquired it and had it rebuilt in Renaissance style as a residence.

The castle's name comes from the knightly family von Schnellenberg, who shared the complex with the Vögte von Elspe from 1337; in 1441 Johann von Schnellenberg kept his house with the tower and the "old house of the Vögte" by the gate. In 1595 Caspar von Fürstenberg, newly admitted to the imperial knighthood, had the medieval fortress rebuilt as a Renaissance residence and sought imperial immediacy, which Bonn's court chancellery granted in 1701.

The building now functions as a four-star hotel with modern amenities and includes a restaurant with international cuisine. Visitors can explore the historic spaces while enjoying contemporary comfort.

Inside the castle is a former brewing area that has been converted into a bar. Here visitors can examine medieval architectural details while enjoying drinks and experiencing the old function of the location.