The history of Lontzen Castle goes back to the 13th century. At that time, there was a massive residential tower in the same place, but it was destroyed in 1288 in the War of the Limburg Succession. The well-fortified edifice that followed it suffered a similar fate in 1702, in the War of Spanish Succession. The ruins were demolished in 1746, and a two-winged castle was erected where they had stood, with eight axes and 50 rooms. In about 1845, the family of proprietors, from Eupen, had the late baroque building remodelled to cater to the tastes of the times. A later owner had the oriel added on the north-west facade, and that served as a chapel. However, a major fire in 1970 inflicted severe damage on the historical building. The stairwell and decorative wooden panelling were among those elements that fell victim to the fire. Subsequently, a man from Aachen purchased the gutted castle and had it rebuilt once again, largely true to the original. So today, the building with its striking oriel, its moats and its access bridge flanked by wrought-iron railings looks much as it must have done when its bourgeois occupants had had it converted in the 19th century. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬The estate is now privately owned and can only be visited on the exterior.
