Lehen Castle

In 1948, a transformation took place at the barns belonging to the farm buildings. Garages were established on the ground floor, and apartments were set up on the first floor. When industrialist Karl Erwin Merkle from Neckarsulm acquired Schloss Lehen in 1953, he converted it into a hotel through renovations. To this day, the property functions as a castle hotel. From 2001 to 2005, the listed building underwent comprehensive restoration.

Schloss Lehen is a three-story Renaissance-style stone house. The front side is adorned with a curved gable, while the opposite stepped gable is simpler. An octagonal staircase tower protrudes from the side of the building, crowned by a pointed roof. The ground floor of the castle is vaulted, housing the Knights' Hall. Above the main portal, a ornate coat of arms displays the alliance of the Grecken and the Lords of Gemmingen, as Wolf Conrad Greck I was married to Sybilla von Gemmingen. The date 1553 likely marks the completion of the castle's construction. Below it, an inscription from Psalm 127 is found.

South of the castle, the courtyard is enclosed by the outer wall and the former economic buildings. There used to be a moat in front of the outer wall, now filled, over which a bridge led. Two massive round towers are positioned in front of the courtyard buildings (originally there were three round towers). A gate in between these towers leads to the castle garden. Above it, the family coats of arms of the Grecken von Kochendorf and the Lords of Gemmingen are displayed; the year 1568 denotes the construction year of the gate.