Burg Kempen

Kempen Castle is a former state castle of the Archbishops of Cologne, which served to protect the Electorate of Cologne's territory on its northwestern border. It is located in the northeastern city center of the Lower Rhine town of Kempen in the Viersen district. Extensively changed in the 19th century in the Neo-Gothic style, it dates back to a medieval foundation and, along with Zülpich Castle, is considered the “best-preserved Electoral Cologne castle of the 14th century” because no other complex in the Electorate of Cologne can boast so much of the original building structure from its early days. Until the French invaded in 1794, it was the residence of the mayor of the city and office of Kempen, who was also the electoral waiter.