Once the fortified heart of a small imperial barony with estates between the Lower Moselle and Middle Rhine, it is today a cultural monument that hosts numerous events.

His opponent, Hillin of Falmagne, Archbishop of Trier, was by way of compensation supposed to the transfer the Ehrenburg which was important for guarding the crossing over the Moselle between Brodenbach und Hatzenport and protected the surrounding imperial estate as a sub-fief to the count.

This complicated legal arranging which was intended to deal with many disputes, existed until the demise of the electorates of Palatinate and Trier at the end of the 18th century as a result of Napoleon's invasion of Germany.

During the Eltz Feud they fought against the territorial policy of the Elector of Trier, Baldwin of Luxembourg, who was trying bring peace and stability to an unsafe area in which the knights were becoming lawless.

Five years later the two sides agreed a treaty, the Eltz Atonement, and the knights had to recognise the sovereignty of the Electorate of Trier in return for being granted burgrave status and becoming hereditary peers.

On 1 November 1688, French troops und Louis XIV occupied the castle during the War of the Palatine Succession and, a year later, blew up parts of the site.