Daun Castle

The origins of the castle grounds date back: a Celtic refuge castle was located here as early as 700 BC, followed by a Roman watchpoint around 50 BC. Daun Castle was built towards the end of the 9th century as the town residence of the Lords of Daun. In the mid-14th century, the castle and the town, built closely against the rock, formed a single entity. Aegidius von Daun, also known as "the mad Gilles," received the town as a fief in 1340. After disputes with allied knights and accusations of brigandage, the castle was captured in 1353 by the Archbishops of Trier and Cologne. This led to the division of the castle and the destruction of the town and the burgmannen houses. In the 17th century, the castle lords were elevated to the status of Imperial Counts. The castle itself suffered damage during the Thirty Years' War and was destroyed by French troops in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession. The Elector of Trier, Karl Joseph von Lothringen, had the main house rebuilt as a hunting lodge in 1712.