Schloss Auel can host a seminar in one of three historic halls, a working retreat of 12 in a lodge in the woods, a church wedding for 75 in its own chapel and a dinner for up to 89 guests. The baroque moated castle stands in Lohmar, in the Bergisches Land hills between Cologne and Bonn, and combines a hotel of 27 rooms and suites with a 27-hole golf course and 90 hectares of forest and meadow.
Seminars and company events
Meetings take place inside the baroque castle, where three historic halls serve as meeting rooms. They are bright and can be darkened for presentations. Each comes with a projector and screen, a flipchart or pinboard, wifi, notepads and pens. The castle does not publish a meeting capacity per room and asks larger groups to send their numbers for a tailored offer.
For a small team that wants to work away from the main house, the Forest Lodge sits about 300 meters from the hotel, reached on foot past the fish ponds. It takes up to 12 people in a bright room surrounded by greenery, with an open living area, a fireplace and outdoor space for group work.
Team programs use the estate. The castle lists guided tours of the Aueler Urwald forest project, golf taster sessions, archery, geocaching, sheep herding and wild herb hikes with a local herb school. The practice area and driving range of the golf course are free of charge.
Weddings and receptions
The chapel of St. Johannes Nepomuk is a private, consecrated baroque chapel used for church weddings and baptisms for up to 75 guests. It has a rococo altar dedicated to the saint, a marble checkerboard floor and good acoustics. The wedding page describes church ceremonies and does not mention civil ones.
Receptions use four rooms in the historic part of the castle. The Gobelinsaal and the adjoining Grüner Salon form the largest setting, for up to 89 guests, with the green salon used as the dance floor. The Fürstenzimmer takes up to 22 guests, and Salon Malta seats up to 28 at one long table looking over the castle park.
Accommodation
The hotel has 27 rooms and suites, split between the historic castle and the newer Golf Lodge. Depending on the room, the windows face the castle park, the golf course or the former castle avenue, so wedding guests and seminar delegates can stay on site.
Catering
During meetings, lunch is served at the Bistro in the clubhouse. In the evening, groups can choose a menu from the head chef, a relaxed bistro dinner or, on request, a barbecue in the inner courtyard with game from the estate forest or Galloway beef from the neighborhood. The castle runs its own gastronomy for weddings, and the Gobelinsaal also hosts seasonal dinners, such as the one that follows the annual Advent concert.
History and setting
Auel is first recorded as a moated castle in 1391 and later took its present three-wing baroque form. In 1818 the heiress Franziska von Broe married into the family of the barons von la Valette St. George, whose descendants still own the house. The historic part was fully renovated in 2006, and the castle marks 75 years as an event venue, hotel and restaurant, from 1951 to 2026.
Getting there
The address is Haus Auel 1, 53797 Lohmar. The castle lies between Cologne and Bonn, and Cologne Bonn Airport is the nearest airport. The team can advise on rail connections and transfers for groups.
