Haus Egelborg, Moated castle in Legden, Germany

Haus Egelborg is a moated castle near Legden, in the Münsterland region, made up of a north wing in Dutch Renaissance style and a baroque west wing. The whole complex sits inside a wooded area and is enclosed by two separate moats.

The estate was first recorded in 1389 and passed to the von Oer family through marriage in 1662. They shaped the castle across generations and still own it today.

The stone lion sculptures on the gate pillars carry family coats of arms and are easy to notice on arrival. The ornamental brickwork of the facades gives the whole place a very particular look that sets it apart from plainer country houses.

Haus Egelborg lies about 1 kilometer west of Legden's village center at Beikelort 95. The building itself is not open to visitors, but the surrounding grounds and the two moats can be seen from outside. The mill north of the complex still regulates the water level of the moats.

The mill north of the castle complex was renewed in 1907 and still regulates the water level of the moats today. It is the working part of a water system that has kept the two encircling moats filled since the castle was laid out on two islands.