Kasteel Erenstei (Castle)

The origins of Kasteel Erenstein date back to the 13th century, when it served as a watchtower on a trade route between Cologne and the Flemish cities. The name derives from the Rhenish knightly family van Ederen, whose first documented owner was Adam van Ehrensteyne. In the 15th century, it passed to the van Gronsveld family and later to the noble families Huyn van Amstenrade and Spies von Büllesheim. After a fire in 1708, which destroyed the west wing, the castle was rebuilt by 1722. In the 19th century, it served, among other things, as a summer residence and later as the family seat of the Colen family and then the de Grand Ry family. In 1903, French Franciscans took over the property and built an additional wing, which was later demolished. During the German occupation, the municipality of Kerkrade acquired the castle, which found a new purpose after renovations.

Today, Kasteel Erenstein houses a restaurant and is surrounded by parkland, forming the southern part of Kerkrade's “green lung.” It is protected as a Rijksmonument and Provinziaal monument.