Fortress
Wilhelmstein
🇩🇪 Germany · 18th century
Wilhelmstein is an artificial island with an area of 12,500 square metres (3.1 acres) in lake Steinhuder Meer, located in the Hanover Region, Northern Germany. The island was created in the 18th century as a fortification by Count William of Schaumburg-Lippe, ruler of this small German state. The man-made isle (Count Wilhelm of Schaumburg-Lippe had the island built between 1761 and 1765 for his military fortress) hosts the Wilhelmsen fortress (German: Festung Wilhelmstein). Today the island, close to Hagenburg, is a popular destination for tourists. It can be reached by so-called 'emigrants boats' from Steinhude and Mardorf.
Text adapted from “Wilhelmstein” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wilhelmstein ranks #3,479 of 8,764 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #278 of the 618 mapped in Germany. Founded 1761, it is older than 17% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 638 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 10,873 times in the last 60 days, more than 94% of the atlas. See how Germany compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Wilhelmstein?
Wilhelmstein stands in Germany, at 52.4603°, 9.30778°.
When was Wilhelmstein built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1761. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is Wilhelmstein?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #3,479 of 8,764 worldwide, and #278 in Germany. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Wilhelmstein?
Herrenhausen Palace, about 27 km away.
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