BAD BENTHEIM, Germany – Bentheim Castle in Bad Bentheim remains closed to visitors. For at least another year, no guided tours, museum visits, or photo shoots will be possible. The fortress, which attracts around 150,000 visitors annually — mostly from the Netherlands — was closed indefinitely at the beginning of January due to serious structural damage. According to Dutch newspaper Tubantia, limited access might only become possible again from the summer of 2027.
The foundation behind the castle, Besichtigungen Burg Bentheim, points to extreme weather caused by climate change as the main cause. An inspection revealed significant issues, including damage to the masonry and other parts of the complex. Visitor safety can currently not be guaranteed. As early as April last year, a substantial section of a castle wall collapsed, after which further defects came to light.
Drama for the community
“It’s a drama for the entire community here,” said tour guide and night watchman Ruud Brilleman earlier. “Bentheim lives off this fortress. It is one of the few castles in Germany still in private ownership. If the gates stay closed, the people stay away too.”
Still privately owned
The castle, built around the year 1020 with characteristic Bentheim sandstone, is owned by the noble Von Bentheim zu Steinfurt family. Large parts of the complex are leased for tours, hospitality, a marketing agency, and to the town of Bad Bentheim. The family has invested more than four million euros in maintenance in recent years, without any government support.
Millions needed
The renovation costs are estimated at between 10 and 40 million euros, an amount that far exceeds the owner’s financial capacity. The foundation is therefore seeking subsidies. Mayor Volker Pannen of Bad Bentheim has already reserved 500,000 euros for this purpose. The minister-president of Lower Saxony and the German Minister of Finance have also been invited to visit the castle in the hope that they will contribute to the restoration.
The aim is to offer at least limited viewing from the summer of 2027. Until then, Bentheim Castle can only be admired from the outside.
