Beck Castle

The origins of Schloss Beck date back to the 15th century, when a "Haus Beck" already existed on this site. The current castle was built between 1766 and 1771 according to the plans of the famous architect Johann Conrad Schlaun. The client was Friedrich Florenz Raban von der Wenge, who used it as a representative pleasure palace. In the late 18th century, the estate temporarily served as the site of a schnapps factory. From the mid-19th century, specifically from 1850, the castle was owned by the Metternich family. In 1958, the mining company Hibernia acquired the entire area. A decisive turn in the castle's history occurred in 1966 when Karl Kuchenbäcker bought the then heavily dilapidated building. He began transforming the grounds into a family amusement park to finance the necessary restoration costs. Since then, the castle and the adjacent farm buildings have been successively renovated. After Karl Kuchenbäcker's death in 2004, his wife Renate and his daughter continue to operate the castle and the park.