Location: Ovifat Map
Constructed: 1354 by Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg
Official site
Ticket Cost:
Adult- 6.5 Euro
Children (6- 16 years)- 5 Euro
Reinhardstein Castle is a well preserved fortress in the valley of the Warche bear a town of Ovifat in the municipality of Waimes (Weismes) in the provinve of Liege. Reinhardstein Castle is located in Warche valley in the village of Ovifat in the Ardennes. Medieval fortification was constructed near the strategic river Warche in 1354 by Reinhard of Weismes for his lord, Count Wenceslaus of Luxerbourg. This strategic location with a 60 meter decline makes Reinhardstein Castle the highest in the country. Reinhardstein Castle was inherited by a family Nesselrode, Nassau, Schwartzenberg. Finally it was owned by the counts of Metternich between 1550 and 1812. It was briefly seized in 1795- 98 by the French revolutionary troops. After 1812 Franz Georg Karl Count Metternich- Winnenburg- Beilstein sold Reinhardstein Castle to the state of Prussia. Much of its stones were quarried by the locals in the nineteenth century. Prussian government tried to put an end to this illegal destruction of the citadel. In 1969 reconstruction of Reinhardstein Castle has begun returning the citadel to its original condition.
Reinhardstein is located in the eastern cantons of Belgium in the
vicinity of Malmedy on the soil of the municipality of Waimes below the
town of Ovifat, which belongs to Waimes. Not far away is the High Fens
with the highest point in Belgium and the Signal de Botrange at 694
meters.
Next to Reinhardstein Castle, Belgium's highest waterfall
at 60 meters falls down into the Warchetal.
Reinout van Weismes built the castle in 1354. It sits on a rocky
outcrop in the river valley and is now completely surrounded by forest.
Through inheritances and marriages it passed successively into the hands
of the Nesselrode, Nassau, Schwartzenberg families and finally into the
property of the Counts of Metternich from 1550 to 1812, except between
1795-1798 when the French Revolutionary administration confiscated it.
Franz Georg Karl Count of Metternich-Winnenburg-Beilstein sold the
family estate in 1812 to a merchant of building materials.
From
1815 to 1919, the area belonged to Prussia. The Prussian administration
immediately stopped the demolition and for the first time attempted to
protect the monument. After the Treaty of Versailles (1919) it became
Belgian territory.
From 1969, the castle was thoroughly renovated
under the impulse of the new owner Professor Jean Overloop. After the
reconstruction, he continued to live there until his death in 1994. His
wife and daughter, who inherited the castle after his death, donated it
to a non-profit organization.
The castle is inhabited but
accessible to tourists. A picturesque walking route also passes by.
Various recordings were made here for the popular youth series Het
Huis Anubis.
Reinout van Weismes, built the castle in 1354
Johan van
Brandscheid lord of Reinhardstein (-1470) married Agnes van Zievel
Catharina van Brandscheid called Gebürgen (ca. 1449-1530) married
Adriaan van Nassau zu Reinhardstein
Adriaan van Nassau zu
Reinhardstein, knight and lord of Bütgenbach and from 1506 to 1510
steward of Vianden (ca. 1445-1510). Lord of Reinhardstein by marriage.
He was a bastard son of Jan IV van Nassau from his relationship with
Aleyd van Lommel
Hendrik van Nassau zu Reinhardstein (1470-1535) lord
of Reinhardstein, Fosseux and Morialmez. He married Marguerite de
Morialmez. She was a daughter of Johan Morialmez from Corroyheer van de
Sint Lambertuskerk and Murddenshoven and Margaretha van Nesselrode.
Johan van Nassau zu Reinhardstein (1497-1560). He married Magdalena von
Hatzfeld on August 26, 1538. She was a daughter of Johan X von Hatzfeld
lord of Wildenberg and from 1509 lord of Weisweiler and Johanna Harff zu
Weisweiler by marriage.
Anna van Nassau zu Reinhardstein (-after
1570) lady of Reinhardstein, Possuir and Winterburg. She married (1)
Bertram Kolff von Vettelhoven an der Ahr, lord of Haus Vettelhoven, der
Sürsch, the hof Rode, the Gut zu Wormersdorf and the Burglehen Hemmessen
(Hemossen) in Altenahr. She married (2) in 1540 Willem von Metternich zu
Vettelhoven (-1578) Herr zu Winterburg and by marriage lord of
Reinhardstein. Willem was a son of Edmund von Metternich zu Sommerberg
(1498-1542) and Anna Kolff von Vettelhoven. Through the marriage of Anna
van Nassau in 1550, the castle passed to the counts of Metternich.
Anna von Metternich zu Reinhardstein, Lady of Reinhardstein and Poulseur
(-1619). She married (1) in 1565 Godhard van Schwarzenberg Freiherr von
Schwarzenberg (-1579). He was a son of Willem I van Schwarzenberg from
1510 Freiherr von Seinsheim (1486-1526) and Catharina Wilhelmina van
Nesselrode. She married (2) Hendrik van Plettenberg zu Kessenich in
1584.
The castle is associated with the legends of the four children of
Haimon and Melusine. Every year at Halloween a hike is organized around
Robertville to Rheinardstein Castle.
In 2007, the administration
of Château Reinhardstein welcomed around 16,000 visitors to various
events throughout the year.