Bilstein Castle

The construction of Bilstein Castle took place between 1202 and 1225 under the direction of the nobleman Dietrich II von Gevore. He moved his seat from Peperburg to Bilstein and thereafter called himself Dietrich I von Bilstein. A document from 1225 confirms the existence of the castle. In 1363, the castle passed into the possession of the Counts of the Mark. During the Soest Feud, Bilstein was captured without a fight by Kurköln in 1445 after a siege and remained under Kurköln's control until secularization in 1802. During this period, it was the seat of the Bilstein office. After the dissolution of Kurköln, the region initially fell to Hesse and from 1816 to Prussia. The castle briefly served as a district seat before the administration was moved to Olpe in 1819. Since 1927, the complex has been used as a youth hostel.