District approves over 1.2 million euros for Kugelsburg Castle

The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is funding the preservation of the historic Kugelsburg and the upgrading of the area to improve the quality of life in rural areas with more than 1.2 million euros. This also supports regional tourism. District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst recently handed over the corresponding funding notification with state and EU funds to the town of Volkmarsen. Some measures have already been completed; construction work for others will start on Monday, 27 June.

"Today is a good day for Volkmarsen," Mayor Hartmut Linnekugel said happily at the on-site meeting at the castle ruins, where he accepted the official funding notification from the district. "Kugelsburg Castle in Volkmarsen has been known as a popular destination for excursions since the end of the 19th century. With the help of the district's financial support and our own funds, we are making sure that the historic walls are preserved in a manner befitting a listed building and that Kugelsburg Castle will continue to be an attractive visitor attraction."

Modernising the restaurant
The town of Volkmarsen has put together a whole package of measures for this purpose: In order to determine the potential of the location, it first commissioned a feasibility study. On this basis, the first step was to upgrade the restaurant at the castle ruins: The kitchen area was modernised and corresponding storage capacities were created so that the gastronomic offer was further improved, especially for locals, but also for tourists who visit the excursion destination, and the gastronomy remains interesting for tenants in the long term. The upgrading was completed in autumn 2021.

Service building erected
In addition, a new service building was erected at the car park at the foot of the Kugelsburg. The simple cube with green roofing, which blends in well with the surroundings, not only has barrier-free public toilet facilities. Additional storage facilities have also been integrated into this building. Visitors, hikers and tourists thus have the opportunity to use the sanitary facilities at any time, even outside the opening hours of the restaurant further up the hill. The construction of the cube was completed in autumn 2021. Both measures and the associated planning costs have already been settled from the funding granted by the district.

Preservation of the masonry and construction of a covered event area
In order to complete the upgrading of the area, two further measures will now follow in a further step: The ruins will be permanently secured by a thorough masonry renovation of certain parts of the castle in order to preserve the historical cultural monument in a professional manner. In addition, a roofed event area will be built in the keep's palace, which will be particularly suitable for hosting smaller open-air concerts, performances, jousting matches, weddings or other events in an extraordinary ambience. All measures will be implemented in accordance with the preservation order.

"We have many special places in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district that attract visitors from all over Hesse and beyond the state borders day after day. Kugelsburg Castle is one of these places," says District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "Therefore, the upgrading of this historical and tourist site is worthy of support and we are happy to provide financial resources from the village development programme for this purpose." With regard to the Green Trails project - the longest continuous mountain bike network in Europe, which is currently under construction - the upgrading of Kugelsburg Castle for tourism also plays a role, he says, as it is an ideal destination for cyclists to take a cultural lunch break.

Construction work starts on 27 June, keep closed
The construction work for the next measures will already start on Monday, 27 June. The city of Volkmarsen points out that from then until the end of the year it will no longer be possible to climb up to the viewing platform in the round tower because of the construction work. The so-called "Witches' Cellar" will also be closed for the duration of the work. The upper courtyard will also be closed off for safety reasons. The municipality asks for your understanding for the restricted use of the castle over the summer.