Raesfeld Castle

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Raesfeld Castle is a water castle located in Raesfeld, a municipality in the district of Borken in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The castle's history dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. At the end of the 16th century, the knight's castle of the Lords of Raesfeld came into the possession of the von Velen family. In the middle of the 17th century, Imperial Count Alexander II von Velen had the castle converted into a Renaissance-style residential palace. In the first half of the 18th century, the von Velen family of Raesfeld died out; the castle was only inhabited irregularly and gradually fell into disrepair. At the beginning of the 19th century, parts of the complex were demolished or used as an agricultural estate until the 20th century. After the Second World War, the new owners, the Chambers of Crafts of North Rhine-Westphalia, had it restored. Today, the castle is home to the further education and training facility of the Chambers of Crafts and is used for cultural events and as a restaurant. It has been possible to get married here since 2007. Of the former four wings of the upper castle, the west wing with its striking stepped tower and the adjoining old building to the north with a rebuilt round tower still stand today. Moats separate the upper castle from the outer castle and the village castle grounds with the castle chapel. The adjoining zoo is one of the few remaining from the Renaissance period. A natural and cultural history exhibition in the modern Information and Visitor Center Tiergarten Schloss Raesfeld does justice to this special position. The zoo is a member of the European Garden Heritage Network.