Orsbach Castle

The origins of Orsbach Castle are presumed to be in the Carolingian era. From the 13th century, the ministerial family van Orlosberg is documented as hereditary fief holders. At the beginning of the 15th century, a castle-like fortification was built next to farm buildings and a small Romanesque church. Its tower served as one of the eight reporting and surveillance towers of the Aachen Empire and, from 1453, was part of the Landwehr of the Aachen Landgraben. The van Orlosberg family, later called Milles (derived from "miles" = knight), owned the castle. The complex served as a watchtower until the French invasion in 1792. The French demolished the chapel in 1803 but spared the castle itself. After changing owners, structural modifications, and use as an inn, the castle fell into disrepair. It was only after its sale to an architect in 1968 that it was extensively restored and returned to as original a state as possible.