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Burgruine Merenberg
Burgruine Merenberg
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The ruins of Merenberg Castle, perched atop a striking basalt cone, are the town's landmark. It was the ancestral seat of the medieval noble family of Merenberg, who gained influence in European noble houses through clever marriages. The first documented mention of a “Hartrudus de Marinberg” dates back to 1129; his descendant Hartrad VI secured the succession of his daughters in 1326, thus initiating the transition of power to the Nassau-Weilburg line, from which the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg emerged in the 19th century. The castle, strategically located on the old Frankfurt–Siegen–Cologne trade route, provided protection, tolls, and a base for the family's rise to power. Destroyed in 1646 during the Thirty Years' War, it remained in ruins. Parts of the outer walls, cellars, the three-story palace, and the 22-meter-high round keep have been preserved. Today, the keep serves as a lookout tower offering a sweeping view of the Lahn Valley as far as the Feldberg. A plateau marks the presumed location of the outer bailey and outer ward.