There are many good reasons to take children to Burg Wissem in Troisdorf: The castle itself along with its moat. The park with wildlife enclosure on the edge of a nature reserve. An adventure playground. But the best argument is hidden inside the castle complex from the 16th to 19th century: A museum for historical and modern picture books and artistic picture book illustrations. The temporary exhibitions are dedicated to individual illustrators and trends in picture book art. There are permanently on display hundreds of historical original illustrations as well as attractive special collections, such as on themes like "Little Red Riding Hood," or a children's book collection on the topics of healing, doctor, and hospital from the Biedermeier era to the present.
The museum houses originals from, among others, Sibylle von Olfers, Herbert Leupin, Jozef Wilkon, Tomi Ungerer, F.K. Waechter, Leo Lionni, Helme Heine or indeed Wolf Erlbruch, Nikolaus Heidelbach, and Jutta Bauer. Moreover, thanks to a permanent loan, it is home to the world's largest Janosch center. The 3000-book strong reference library includes the most important new releases of recent years. While smaller children can build and romp in the adjacent playroom, the older ones retreat with their parents to the reading room in the top tower room. There they get an overview – and enjoy the fantastic panoramic view in the process.
