Baldenau Castle

Baldenau Castle is the ruin of a moated castle in the Hunsrück between the villages of Hundheim and Hinzerath, both districts of the municipality of Morbach in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, just south of the Hunsrückhöhenstraße B 327.

The castle ruin of Baldenau is one of the few moated castles in the Hunsrück that lies in a high valley. The moat of the ruin, located on the northern edge of the Idarwald at an altitude of 465 meters, is fed by the upper reaches of the Dhron.

Baldenau also includes the Stumpfe Turm (Stump Tower), which was built above Hinzerath on the former Roman road. Due to its location on the ridge, approaching dangers could be detected early from here and reported to the castle.

From 1315, it was built by Archbishop Balduin of Trier to protect his territory. Originally, the founding of a new city under the protection of the castle was even planned; however, this never came to fruition. The castle gave its name to the Electoral Trier office of Baldenau, which included fifteen surrounding villages.

After several damages in the Thirty Years' War, it was repaired again as early as 1649, but finally permanently destroyed in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession by French troops under Louis XIV. In 1982, the ruin was secured.