Orb Castle

Bad Orb Castle is a hilltop castle next to St. Martin's Church at 180 m above sea level, above the old town (Burgring 14) of the spa town of Bad Orb in the Main-Kinzig district in Hesse.

The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1064 and was initially owned by the Lords of Büdingen, later becoming part of the town's fortifications. After Orb became part of the Archbishopric of Mainz in 1328, it served as the administrative seat for the Mainz bailiffs. In 1428, it was pledged to the Counts of Hanau, and in 1566, the pledge was redeemed. Archbishop Daniel Brendel von Homburg had the castle rebuilt in the Renaissance style around 1570. The castle's palas temporarily served as a residence for the noble family von Milchling. In 1621, a tithe barn was added to the west side of the castle (converted into a "Haus des Gastes" and lecture hall between 1981 and 1982). After the Thirty Years' War, the castle was no longer inhabited and was used as a grain store.

In 1865, the Hanau company Oldenkott & Co. bought the building and used it as a cigar factory. From 1988, an access tower with a staircase and lift was added to the building, and the ensemble was used as a municipal museum.

A double round-arch window on the north gable can be dated to the 12th century, and fragments of three large round-arch windows on the east and west facades from around 1570 are preserved.