Malbrouck Castle

Malbrouck Castle was built at the end of the Middle Ages, at the beginning of the 15th century. Its builder, Knight Arnold VI of Sierck, called it Meinsberg Castle (my hill). From the end of the 15th century, the castle changed owners several times. In the 17th century, it suffered the ravages of the Thirty Years' War and lost all its original prestige. It is then transformed into a farm. The name Malbrouck appears in the 18th century, in reference to the Duke of Marlborough, who stayed at the castle in 1705 during the War of the Spanish Succession and whose memory is perpetuated by the song "Malbrouck s'en va-t'en war". Classified Monument Hhistoric in 1930, the castle was destroyed during the Second World War. In 1975, the ruin was purchased by the General Council of Moselle, which initiated an ambitious restoration project in 1989. In 1998, the castle opened its doors to the public and has since offered a rich and varied cultural program. Today the Château de Malbrouck is part of the Passionnément Moselle Sites network.

Located on the Meinsberg hill and overlooking the village of Manderen by 110 meters, Malbrouck Castle is built on an irregular trapezoidal plan oriented north-south. Its dimensions are of relative importance: 50 m for the south facade, 66 m for the east facade, 68 m for the west facade and 49 m for the north face. It has four towers, three of which are square and one round with a cutaway, each flanked by a staircase turret and all connected together by curtain walls with a height varying between 12 and 18 m, and a thickness varying between 2 and 4.80 m. A stately home rests on the west curtain wall.
Malbrouck Castle has numerous defense organs: firing openings adapted to firearms are present in the four towers. The entrance to the castle is protected by a movable bridge, a moat, a barbican and a gatehouse, while a gunboat archer allows you to beat the entrance axis. However, its manufacturer has not neglected comfort. The three square towers are easy to arrange and live in and they are all equipped with fireplaces and latrines. The house, the residential building par excellence, includes a large kitchen. Finally, the castle has many decorative elements, such as carved fireplaces, mullioned windows, decorated doors and decorative machicolations.

Classified in the register of Historic Monuments since 1930, Malbrouck Castle had to be restored while respecting the ethical principles of the Venice Charter ratified by Europe in 1964. This text specifies that restoration can only be carried out on the basis of evidence provided by an archaeological and historical study of the monument. Without this evidence, restoration must give way to a modern transformation of the missing parts using current techniques and materials. The same applies to all work deemed essential to the operation of the site.
Numerous archaeological excavation campaigns then followed one another during the 1980s until the mid-1990s, in addition to a study of all the archives relating to the history of the castle, in order to establish a restoration project validated by the Historic Monuments Commission. Started in 1989, the project was completed in 1998 and required the intervention of numerous trades, many of whom draw their know-how from the traditions of companionship. Masons, stonemasons, carpenters, carpenters, roofers, ironworkers and artistic glaziers have thus been able to implement ancient techniques that have sometimes even been forgotten for several centuries.

The Château de Malbrouck, in Manderen-Ritzing, is one of the 8 Passionnément Moselle sites. Located in the north of the Moselle department, in the heart of the "Land of Three Borders", a stone's throw from Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Château de Malbrouck dominates from its promontory, a green valley sheltering a exceptional biodiversity. Thus, in addition to its historical and heritage interest, the Château de Malbrouck also allows its many visitors to discover a Remarkable Natural Site.
The site is at the heart of several hiking and mountain biking circuits.
The Château de Malbrouck also offers you a permanent orientation course on its estate.