On one of our trips to Trier we planned to stay a couple nights at a B&B at Bernkastel-Kues at the Mosel. We happen to drive through the town of Lieser and saw a beautiful castle to our left
When we arrived in Bernkastel-Kues, I asked about this gorgeous building and was told it is now a Luxury hotel. We drove back to Lieser to take some pictures in the evening.
The History
The Lieser castle was built by the successful entrepreneur Eduard Puricelli in 1884 under the architecture of Heinrich Theodor Schmidt. Soon after moving in, Mr. Puricelli began cultivating vineyards for wine production in the surrounding Mosel area. Later he raised the castle slightly to prevent from being flooded by the Mosel river.
Maria Puricelli was the sole heir to the family’s property when her father died. She married the wealthy Prussian politician Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Lieser, who belonged to the cabinet of Kaiser Wilhelm II, also known as the last German emperor and king of Prussia.
The Lieser Castle is associated with important epochs of German and Dutch history. The castle received members of the Dutch royal family because they were related to Baron von Schorlemer-Lieser. Princess Juliana, who later became Queen of the Netherlands (ruled from 1948 to 1980), played in the gardens of the castle as a child. Her nephew Baron van Amstenrade was born in Lieser Castle.
Pictured above is Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer-Lieser
At the turn of the century, Maria and Clemens moved into the villa and renovated it to a beautiful castle that it is today. Although the original architect chose the style of the Neo-Renaissance, based on the Italian Palladian villas of the 16th and 17th centuries, the new additions were made in Art Nouveau.
The property was acquired by the current owner, Mr. P. Killaars in 2007, who began an extensive renovation, expansion until 2019. Afterward he turned the castle into a luxury residence, now a Hotel
To date, Schloss Lieser is one of the most important buildings in the region and occupies second place in the Rhineland-Palatinate region (Burg Eltz takes first place).
The Lieser castle was sold recently to a Luxury Hotel chain (Mariott Hotels, Autograph Collection). If you want to get the royal treatment, stay there for a couple of nights. I will hopefully next time, at least for one night. More info here: Schloss Lieser
Other Castle Hotels at the Rhine: