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Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg
Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Althoff Collection · Grand Luxury
This baroque hilltop castle above Cologne was built between 1703 and 1711 by architect Matteo Alberti as a hunting lodge for Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II and his wife Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, its design inspired by Versailles. Its central axis famously aligns with Cologne Cathedral. After serving as a military hospital and later a school, an insurance group spent roughly 75 million euros restoring it, opening it as a 120-room hotel in 2000, home to the acclaimed Vendome restaurant.
- 111 rooms
- Opened 2000
- Neighborhood: Bensberg
- Architect: Matteo Alberti
About Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg
- Architect Matteo Alberti aligned the castle's central axis exactly with Cologne Cathedral, about 14 kilometers away, a deliberate sightline still visible from the palace grounds today.
- Before becoming a hotel it served as a military hospital, a cadet school and a boarding school.
- An insurance group spent roughly 75 million euros restoring it before it opened as a hotel in 2000.
History
The Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg occupies a baroque hilltop castle built between roughly 1703 and 1711 by architect Matteo Alberti as a hunting lodge for the Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm II - 'Jan Wellem' - and his wife Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, its design inspired by Versailles. Over the centuries the castle served as a military hospital, a cadet school and a boarding school.
The Aachener & Muenchener insurance group acquired the castle in 1997 and, after a roughly 75-million-euro restoration, it opened in spring 2000 as the Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg. The hotel's central axis is famously aligned with Cologne Cathedral, and it is home to the acclaimed Vendome restaurant.
The setting
13 km from Altenberg Abbey. 18.9 km from downtown Cologne.
Restaurants and bars
- Restaurant Vendôme — Restaurant · 2-star cuisine · Chef Joachim Wissler · Two MICHELIN Stars
- Trattoria Enoteca — Restaurant · Tuscan specialities
- Jan Wellem castle restaurant — Restaurant · traditional cuisine
- Salvador Dalí Bar — Restaurant · innovative cuisine based on the concept of "New fashioned fo
- Dali Bar — Bar
- Gewölbekeller by Dennis Kuckuck — Restaurant · Chef Dennis Kuckuck
Experiences
- Unique Christmas Market — The 'Unikat' Christmas market with integrated concept store mile, 10-13 December 2026.
- Althoff Modern Chefs Circle — Six-hands dinner with Cornelia Fischer, Niclas Nußbaumer and Dennis Kuckuck, 22 November 2026.
- Falstaff Wine Trophy — Big wine gala with the Falstaff wine award on 21 November 2026.
- Goose time in the castle — Goose season with a traditional roast goose, starting 11 November 2026.
- Champagne Brunch — Sunday champagne brunch where guests can experience the castle chefs at first hand.
- The Frog King: A musical fairy tale — Children's concert from the series 'Magic Castle Bensberg', performed by Roman Salyutov, 13 December 2026.
Amenities
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
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