Château de Beaufort

The origins of Château de Beaufort date back to the late 12th century, with Wauthier de Wiltz et Beaufort first documented as Lord of Beaufort in 1192. The construction of the core castle is also attributed to this period. The complex clearly shows two construction phases, with Romanesque and Gothic elements visible in the inner courtyard. In the 14th century, after the Lords of Beaufort died out in the male line, the castle passed to Wilhelm von Orley through Adelheid von Beaufort. Later, the castle was confiscated by Emperor Maximilian I and re-granted after Johann von Orley was accused of treason. In the 16th century, ownership changed again, first to Bernard von Velbrück and then to Gaspard de Heu. He supported Maurice of Orange in the struggle for independence against Spain, was captured, and executed in 1593. King Philip II of Spain seized the castle and enfeoffed Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld with it. Heavily indebted during the Thirty Years' War, the lordship was acquired in 1639 by Johann von Beck, the Governor of Luxembourg. He began building a new Renaissance castle above the old one, which was only completed by his son Georg after his death. The old castle subsequently fell into disrepair over the centuries. It was not until 1928, under owner Edmond Linckels, that the ruin was cleared of debris and made accessible to visitors.

The castle ruin is located in Befort, in the district of Echternach, in the Grevenmacher region of Luxembourg, at an elevation of approximately 317 meters above sea level.

The castle ruin is now accessible to visitors and can be explored. Since 1981, it has been owned by the Luxembourgish state.

• Château de Villers (castle), approx. 3.1 km away
• Château de Heringen (castle), approx. 4.7 km away
• Château de Moestroff (castle), approx. 5.0 km away
• Burg Bollendorf (castle), approx. 6.1 km away