Unterbach Castle

The origins of Haus Unterbach likely date back to the Carolingian era. Around 900, the site was probably expanded into a castle out of fear of the Hungarians, although written proof for this is lacking. The complex was first documented as a knight's seat in 1169. Around 1300, an expansion of the fortifications took place, featuring walls up to 1.20 meters thick, a wide moat, and four towers with walls up to two meters thick and arrowslits. Three of these towers – a gate tower, a court tower, and a round tower – are still preserved today. Another round tower, once a dungeon, was integrated into the manor house. Parts of the drawbridge mechanism can still be seen in the gate tower. The garden was designed by Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe, a landscape architect of the 18th and 19th centuries. Haus Unterbach played an important role for the region, not only as a place of refuge but also as a patron of the Erkrath church community.