Welschbillig Castle (Ruin)

Welschbillig Castle is located in the municipality of Welschbillig in the Verbandsgemeinde Trier-Land in the district of Trier-Saarburg in Rhineland-Palatinate. The lowland castle is situated at an elevation of approximately 290 meters above sea level.

As early as the 12th century, a small predecessor castle was built on the site of an earlier Roman villa rustica from the 2nd to 4th centuries in what is now Welschbillig.

From 1242 to 1299, the moated castle was significantly reinforced by Archbishop Arnold II von Isenburg, and later the regional castle was further expanded by his successors. In 1711, the castle was destroyed by French troops, and from 1889 to 1891, the south side was demolished due to the construction of a church.

The castle complex, built over the remains of the Roman villa, today appears as remnants of an extensive square castle area with a moat. Visible are the gatehouse with its two round towers, a stone moat bridge, and remains of the northwest gate.

This Roman villa was U-shaped around a water basin measuring 58.3 by 17.8 meters, which was originally surrounded by 112 herms. 71 herms can be seen in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier.