Burg Maus

History

Burg Maus resides on a mountain spur overlooking the River Rhine above the town of Wellmich. Originally planned as St. Peterseck and later called Burg Deuernburg (Thurnberg), the castle became known as Burg Maus as a mocking nickname, probably coined by the powerful counts of Katzenelnbogen, who owned nearby Katz Castle (Burg Neukatzenelnbogen), in a cat-and-mouse rivalry with the Archbishops of Trier.

Construction of Burg Maus began in the 1350s, in 1356 according to most sources, under Archbishop-Elector Bohemond II of Trier. The castle was built to enforce tolls on boat traffic along the River Rhine and to secure the land possessions of Trier on the right bank of the Rhine that bordered lands of the counts of Katzenelnbogen and their castles of Burg Katz further upriver and Burg Rheinfels across the river. A second Trier castle, St. Petersberg, was planned nearby to counter them but was never built. The original castle included a round tower, shield wall, residential building, and four-story residential tower.

The round keep and shield wall.

Bohemond's successors, Kuno II and Werner von Falkenstein, completed the castle construction between 1362 and 1388, at times using it as their residence, and extended the residential tower with an annex to the north.

Unlike neighboring castles, Burg Maus was never destroyed in a siege but did fall into disrepair as Trier's needs changed. By 1719, the castle was already described as being dilapidated and empty. The name Maus is first recorded in 1744, in contrast to nearby Burg Katz.

The castle on its spur above the Rhine.

In 1806, it was auctioned off for demolition to Friedrich Gustav Habel, who wanted to preserve it and who later also bought Burg Gutenfels, and it was used as a quarry but only partially demolished. Between 1900 and 1906, the architect Wilhelm Gärtner restored the castle in great historical detail, largely keeping its original exterior, and the top of the keep was added in 1924. An eagle and falcon farm operated at the castle for decades until the end of 2010. Burg Maus also suffered damage during World War II when it took on shellfire and was subsequently repaired again after the war. Victor Hugo devoted a chapter to the castle in his 1840 book on the Rhine, and since 2002, the castle has been part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Castle Highlights

Today, the castle retains most of its original structure and design. The most prominent feature is the round tower, about 33 meters tall and 8 meters across, built into the middle of the 10-meter high shield wall on the eastern side that faces the hillside. The square residential tower with corner turrets dominated the west façade of the castle nearest the River Rhine and was used as the residence of the Archbishop. The castle also contained a private chapel along the southern wall, on the upper floor of the residential hall.

Burg Maus above the town of Wellmich.

The best views of the castle are from the opposite bank of the River Rhine or from the river itself if you partake in a river cruise.

Like its neighbor Burg Katz, Burg Maus is privately owned, and regional tourism sites say it can currently only be viewed from the outside. The castle has occasionally hosted events which sometimes included guided tours, and the Knights' Hall has been available for weddings, anniversaries, or conferences. Contact the castle for more information regarding booking availability and prices.