Dillenburg Castle (Ruin)

The origins of Dillenburg date back to the 12th century when the Counts of Nassau erected a castle complex here. This initial castle, characterized by a circular curtain wall and a freestanding residential tower, was destroyed around 1325/27 during the Dernbach Feud. In the mid-15th century, the complex was rebuilt and expanded to withstand emerging firearms. An early artillery rondel was constructed between 1458 and 1462. From the second half of the 15th century, Dillenburg developed into the main residence of the Ottonian line of the Counts of Nassau. Faced with political tensions with the Landgraviate of Hesse, Count Wilhelm the Rich began to transform the residence into a fortress from the 1520s onwards.