Grand Hotel Schloss Bensberg

In a stunning location high above Cologne Bay, with breathtaking views of Cologne Cathedral, stands one of Europe's most beautiful and largest Baroque palaces – the 5-star luxury Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg. In a unique atmosphere, you can expect all the amenities of a first-class hotel, including 2-Michelin-starred gourmet cuisine by "Germany's Best Chef" Joachim Wissler in the Restaurant Vendôme, Italian flair in the Trattoria Enoteca with its wine shop, top-level wellness in our Beauty & Spa, and, of course, the highest level of personal service and hospitality.

Interesting facts about the castle:
Duke Johann Wilhelm II (popularly known as "Jan Wellem") reigned as Duke of Jülich and Berg from 1679 to 1716. Johann Wilhelm succeeded his father, Philipp Wilhelm, as the 18th Elector Palatine in 1690. In the autumn, he would leave his residence in Düsseldorf to hunt in Bensberg. The adjacent Königsforst (King's Forest) was his favorite hunting ground. Jan Wellem's second wife, Anna Maria Luisa, daughter of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, raved about the view from the old Bensberg Castle overlooking the rolling countryside, which reminded her of Tuscany.

Presumably for his wife's sake, Elector Jan Wellem commissioned Count Matteo d'Alberti in 1703 to build a new Baroque-style palace. By 1711, the Venetian architect had created a magnificent hunting lodge modeled after Schönbrunn Palace. The central axis of the complex is precisely aligned with Cologne Cathedral. For the interior design, the Elector engaged renowned contemporary artists such as Antonio Bellucci, Antonio Pellegrini, Jan Weenix, and Dornenico Zanetti. When Goethe visited the palace in 1774, his companion Johann Georg Jacobi wrote in his diary: "The palace and village lie on a high mountain, from which one can see many miles of forests, fields, and heaths, and in the distance a stretch of the Rhine and the famous Seven Hills. ... I believe that the gods, now and then, drink their nectar on a silver cloud and survey half the earth!" Goethe himself writes in Book 14 of his autobiography, Poetry and Truth: "... A trip to the hunting lodge Bensberg, situated on the right bank of the Rhine and offering the most magnificent views, is more vivid in my memory. What delighted me there beyond measure were the wall decorations by Weenix...".

Jan Wellem did not live to see the completion of his impressive hunting lodge in Berg. By the time of his death in 1716, the decline of the princely castle was already evident. Subsequent rulers resided more in the Palatinate than in the Duchy of Berg and rarely visited the castle.

Subsequently, the building was used for a wide variety of purposes, all of which seem rather unregal: hospital, pharmacy, Prussian Cadet Institute (1840-1918), barracks, school, boarding school.

In 1997, the former princely hunting lodge underwent extensive restoration and was converted into a 5-star grand hotel, making it accessible to the public and once again serving its original princely purposes. The hotel includes three restaurants, a wellness club, and a jeweler.

For this reason, visiting opportunities are limited. However, you can always enjoy a magnificent view of Cologne and Cologne Cathedral from the entrance.