... is situated above the Ruhr's bend, in the southern part of Hattingen among the Isenburg castle ruins, and is a population destination for both hikers and museum fans. The view over the verdant Ruhr valley enchants some of the guests, and the moving history of the castle grounds the others. The Verein zur Erhaltung der Isenburg (Society for the Preservation of Isenburg) manages not only maintenance of the castle grounds, but also the museum in the Custodis House, in which the castle's diverse history from the 12th and 13th centuries is graphically displayed.
The
ruin's numerous walls, cellars, staircases and alcoves inspire
the imagination; the visitors can picture what the castle
probably looked like. A crown jewel of the Haus Custodis exhibition
is the painstaking reconstruction of the once immense castle
grounds. Painstaking, because the original appearance of the
fortifications was not passed down by history. The museum
also has an interesting facsimile of the impressive original
document about the first mention of the castle.
Dates for public tours through the castle grounds are posted by the society on its internet site; individual tours can be telephonically arranged.
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