Wasserburg Hopen, Medieval castle in Lohne, Germany
Wasserburg Hopen is a water fortress with thick stone walls surrounded by a moat, located in the Hopener forest near the Hopener Mühlenbach stream. The structure consists of a main castle and surrounding buildings that extend toward the water.
Count Herbort von Dinklage built the fortress in 1516 as a defensive structure for the region. During the Thirty Years' War in 1637, Swedish and Hessian soldiers destroyed the outer structures by fire.
The stone entrance displays a sandstone canopy with the coat of arms of the von Haren and Löw von und zu Steinfurth families. You can see these family symbols as you arrive at the site.
The site is accessible through guided tours offered after extensive renovation work completed in 2015. The forest setting provides shelter from the elements, and it is advisable to wear comfortable shoes suitable for the damp conditions around the moat.
The original drawbridge was removed in 1880, and the castle tower collapsed into the moat in 1825, fundamentally altering the site's appearance. These changes show how the structure evolved through events and decisions made over the centuries.
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