Alme Castle

The castle, built in the first half of the 18th century, is a three-winged complex, with the side wings enclosing an inner courtyard that opens toward the north. The two-story castle rises above a high basement, the considerable height of which is evident from the open staircase.

Around 1600, there were two houses on the site of today’s Haus Niederalme: the old and the new Haus Niederalme, both inhabited by members of the Meschede family, namely Mordian and Philipp. In the wake of recurring inheritance disputes, it was officially documented that the two houses were separated by a 9-foot (2.83 m) high wall.

It is not possible to tour the castle, but the grounds can be viewed from the street and the Dornröschenweg trail:

Dornröschenweg – Alme Wasserschloß – Lambach Pump. A section of the Al2 hiking trail leads from the duck pond along the mill ditch to the cozy restaurant “Almer Schlossmühle,” and from there along the castle wall to the romantic Dornröschenweg, which runs alongside the castle pond with a view of the inner courtyard of the Alme Wasserschloß from the first half of the 18th century (tours are not available).

Here you can stroll along the Sleeping Beauty Trail on level ground. Alternatively, a path winds uphill through mixed woodland to the Beerenscheid, offering a magnificent view of Alme and Bleiwäsche.

From here, the trail descends back to the starting point of this short hike. Especially for those interested in technology, it’s worth taking a look at the Lambach Pump industrial monument at the corner of Schloßstraße and Wünnenberger Straße (B480).