Rittergut Werleshausen, Manor estate in Werleshausen, Germany

Rittergut Werleshausen is a Renaissance-style manor house built from 1556 on the remains of an earlier fortified house destroyed by fire in 1540; only its sandstone walls and round tower survived. The building has two corner towers and an oriel, and its coat of arms bears the year 1565. Thick ground-floor walls and a catacomb-like cellar vault survive from around 1280.

The foundations and underground vaults date to the 13th century and show the site's early importance. The von Hanstein family acquired the estate and its lands in 1336 and established their control over the region.

The manor served as a control point for the Werra Valley and its fishing activities. Its position near a salt trade route made it important for regional commerce and administration.

The estate is located at Am Rasen 19 in Werleshausen, just about 150 meters (500 feet) from the Werra River. From here you can easily reach the border region between Hesse, Lower Saxony, and Thuringia.

The coat of arms on the house bears the year 1565, although construction in Renaissance style began in 1556, so the building may have taken nine years to complete. Traces of the 1540 fire are said to remain visible in the cellar vault.