Harreshausen Castle

The Old Hunting Lodge Harreshausen (also Hanau Hunting Lodge Harreshausen) is a small baroque former hunting lodge in today's Babenhausen district of Harreshausen.

Count Johann Reinhard III of Hanau had the hunting lodge built in the years 1722-23. Babenhausen then belonged to the last reunited County of Hanau. The construction of the hunting lodge was accompanied by a multitude of other castle and new buildings during his reign. Other examples include Philippsruhe Castle in Kesselstadt (today: Hanau) or Wolfgang Hunting Lodge.

Count Johann Reinhard shared the passion for hunting of Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. Johann's daughter and only heiress Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg was married to Ernst Ludwig VIII, son of Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. Ludwig VIII also inherited his father's passion for hunting and later had the Dianaburg built, a very similar small hunting lodge to those in Harreshausen and Wolfgang.

The Harreshausen Hunting Lodge was built as a two-story building with a square floor plan. The house, simply plastered, still has a mansard hip roof today. In the angled lower roof area, there are two bay windows on each side. While the west and east sides are each designed with four axes, the entrance side has five axes. Remains of an entrance portal are located at the current garden entrance. The hunting lodge, with its main facade and entrance, was oriented towards an elm avenue that provided a direct connection to Babenhausen Castle.

In front of the western entrance was an extensive rectangular forest garden that merged into the elm avenue. The garden has been gradually built upon since the early 1960s. Remains of its high surrounding wall are still preserved.

The hunting lodge is a cultural monument according to the Hessian Monument Protection Act. It is now in private ownership and cannot be visited.