Forts, Castles & Palaces in Germany

Although a large mansion has stood here since the 14th century, what we see today was built in 1585 by Peter Rantzau, who was envoy of the King of Denmark. The Renaissance style mansion, surrounded by a moat, was built on an island in an artificial lake, which was only ever intended for artistic purposes not defence. A private residence until 1932, the castle subsequently served as a home for refugees and a vocational training school. As a museum, it has been open to the public since 1955. Furniture, art, crystal chandeliers and objects that attest to a luxurious lifestyle introduce visitors to an 18th century aristocratic culture.

Accepted by some as Germany’s oldest palace, this Gothic and Renaissance castle, and the site on which it was constructed overlooking the Elbe River, has had a long history. The first fortress was built in 929 for Henry 1, Duke of Saxony. And it was here in 1471 that brothers Ernest and Albrecht, both Dukes of Saxony, built their residential palace and administrative centre. Although they never used it as such. The Gothic masterpiece became a porcelain factory and in 1863 a museum. Innovative displays give insight into the castle’s complex history.

The moated castle set within a Baroque English style park is one of the most beautiful castles of its kind in Münsterland. Although the earliest recorded mention dates back to the 12th century, it was around 1700 that the fortified castle was turned into a lavish stately residence for Prince Nikolaus of Salm-Salm. Today the castle houses a substantial art collection of some 700 masterpieces, including paintings by such artists as Rembrandt, Jan Brueghel the Elder and Holbein. Part of the castle is a four star hotel.

Bachritter Castle is a construction of a typical medieval motte and bailey castle. The simple wooden castle is the result of a scientific collaboration between archaeologists, building researchers, architects and traditional craftsmen, using traditional techniques, tools and methods. It was built near the site of a 14th century castle that burned down in 1392. With guided tours on offer, visitors are introduced to the way and quality of life for a minor Upper Swabian nobleman. From late spring right up to Advent, the Friends of Bachritter host regular medieval themed events, including a medieval Advent market.

Were it not for a group of dedicated locals, the castle would have been destroyed by the Soviet Occupying forces overseeing East Germany following WWII. Although the first recorded mention is of a moated castle, in 1423, historians believe that this was built on an earlier fortification. What visitors see today is a Baroque style castle, built at the beginning of the 18th century after the previous  castle had been largely destroyed by fire. At that time the manor and its estate was developed by noblemen. Into the 20th century it was wealthy industrialists who developed the estate, which is now used to house the German Agricultural Museum.

Known locally as ‘Burgruine Brandenburg’ are the remains of two castles, albeit built at different times in the mid 12th century. They each had their own towers, curtain walls with gates, and are located on a spur either side of a natural saddle. They do not feature in the history of the area, or Germany. Their greatest claim to fame is being called “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle” during the division of Germany as they lay in the restricted zone. Since Reunification they have been restored, and the residential tower of the Ostburg now houses a museum. The castle can be visited at anytime and makes for a great hike in the area, but the museum has set opening times.

At the top of a basalt hill, with spectacular views over the town and surrounding area, the towers and walls of Braunfels castle look straight out of a fairy tale. What started as a fortified residence (the foundations of which are still preserved) in the 13th century developed into a striking Baroque residence of the 17th and 18th century. The castle served as the residence and the seat of government for the counts and princes of Solms-Braunfels. And has been in the family for close on 800 years. The same family live there today, organising guided tours for visitors. The museum can be visited without a guide.

Originally called Peterseck Castle and completed in 1388, the fortified residence was built by Electors of Trier to enforce their toll rights on the Rhine River. But also to protect their territory against the Counts of Katzenelnbogen on the opposite side of the Rhine. As a response, they built Neu-Katzenelnbogen Castle (Burg Katz), which led the people to call the castles “Katz und Maus”. The castle was never destroyed in the region’s conflicts, but it fell into disrepair during the 18th century. In 1898 it was bought by a Cologne architect and restored as a residence while preserving its medieval style.

Construction on Schloss Vor Husum began in 1577 on the site of a Franciscan monastery. It was built for Adolf I, the first Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. At this time the castle was situated just beyond the town gate, hence its name. Just as this part of Schleswig-Holstein has changed hands between the Germans and the Danes, so too the castle has changed its role, from a ducal house to a royal residence for the Danish royal family. In May the park that surrounds the castle is a popular local attraction for the crocus blooms.

With origins in the Baroque period and additions made until the 19th century, Schloss Charlottenburg is the largest palace in Berlin. This was the residence and ceremonial seat for Brandenburg electors, Prussian kings and German emperors. The palace was severely damaged in 1943, and it was feared that the ruins would have to be demolished. Rebuilding was completed in 1970 and soon after it was opened to the public and is now one of Berlin’s major attractions. The palace chapel and the bedchamber of Frederick I, faithful to the originals, are among the highlights of many visits.

The Reichsburg Cochem on a hill above the river Mosel is thought to have been built by Graf Ezzo around the year 1000 and only became an imperial castle in 1151. Under the occupation by Louis XIV in 1689, it was burned down and reduced to ruins. When the rich Berlin merchant Louis Ravené bought the remains of the castle in 1868, he reconstructed it with a new gothic style, while preserving it’s late gothic core. Since 1978 the castle has been owned by the city Cochem with regular tours on offer. Even dogs are allowed inside the rooms.

From about 1460 the castle of Zllwangen served as the residence of the Prince-provosts. Although the castle was remodelled in a Baroque style around 1726, visitors to the castle can still see evidence of its earlier architectural grandeur. Today the castle is administrated by the State of Baden-Württemberg, and it hosts a museum with permanent exhibitions that comprise spectacular objects from over 1,200 years of the building’s history and influence in the region.

The ruins of the castle founded around 1100 stand on a striking, bare granite outcrop, overlooking the town of Flossenbürg. Originally a residential tower with a high ring wall, the castle was added to many times over the centuries, until it was set alight during the Thirty Year’s War and then abandoned. Recently, as part of a restoration programme, excavations were carried out during which a cellar vault was uncovered along with the remains of an oven. The ruins re a popular attraction, particularly for the striking view over the surrounding area.

Located near Sternberg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Gross Raden Archaeological Open-Air Museum seeks to recreate a 9th and 10th century settlement that archaeologists excavated nearby during the 1970s. It is believed that its original inhabitants were linguistically Slavic, as opposed to Germanic, speakers. Among the reconstructed structures are a temple, tower and palisade with earthen ramparts, created on the basis of archaeological discoveries both here and elsewhere. Various re-enactor events take place at the site throughout the year.

Considered one of the most beautiful ruined castles in central Germany, Hanstein Castle certainly makes for a picturesque silhouette among timber-framed buildings. First mention of the castle dates to 1070, noting its destruction. Given its strategic value, the castle was rebuilt and damaged several times in its history. As it was close to the border between East and West Germany, the CDR took control of the ruins and the towers used as a border watch tower. No visitors were allowed until after Reunification. A popular  medieval festival takes place at the castle every year on the first weekend of August.

The hilltop Hardenburg Castle was built around 1210 by the counts of the Leiningen House, and is thought to be one of the most powerful castles in the Palatinate region. In the 16th century it was further fortified and expanded as a Renaissance residence for the family. After surviving the Thirty Years War as well as the attacks of Ludwig XIV, it was set alight by the French revolutionary forces in 1796. Although its interior was completely destroyed, the ruin is well preserved and now hosts a fully accessible visitor centre as well as a number of annual events.

On the edge of the Swabian Alps atop Mount Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern Castle has breathtaking views. The current castle, built in Gothic revival style between 1846 and 1867, is the third castle to have been built here. Since the 11th century this has been the ancestral home of the House of Hohernzollern, specifically the Swabian branch of the family. Besides being able to tour historic rooms, a number of artefacts from the Prussian royal family are on display, including the Crown of Wilhelm II.

The UNESCO world heritage site Burg Neukatzenelnbogen (more simply Burg Katz) was built in 1393 by Graf Johann III von Neukatzenelnbogen. Throughout the years, it was at the center of various infighting between the two family lines of Hessen-Kasseln and Hessen-Darmstadt. After its destruction in 1806 by Napoleon, the district administrator of the region in 1896 bought the ruin and rebuilt it without care for its original medieval form. Finally, in 1989 it was purchased by a Japanese hotel manager. To this day, the castle is private property and cannot be visited.

In 1558 a Renaissance hunting lodge was built on the ruins of a 6th century Slavic burg. In 1631, the castle was the headquarters of King Gustavus of Sweden. The Baroque palace and gardens we see today was rebuilt in the late 17th century for Frederick I of Prussia. Since 1963 it has housed Berlin’s Kunstgewerbemuseum (Decorative Arts Museum). The permanent RoomArt exhibition showcases furniture and Decorative Art from the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods. On an island, the palace is surrounded by an English style park on an island, a popular place to walk.

Built in 1663, but remodelled and renovated many times since, the Crown Prince’s Palace has been home to many members of the Prussian Royal family. The last Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, was born here on 27 January 1859. After the dissolution of the German monarchy, in 1919 the palace became part of the National Gallery, where it showcased Modern Art until ordered to be “cleansed” of it by Hitler. The palace was heavily destroyed during the Allied bombing of Berlin, but again restored. On 31 August 1990 the palace hosted the signing of the German Unification Agreement.

All that remains today is a circular rampart between 8 and 10 m high, with a diameter of about 95 m. The castle was surrounded by a moat, and protected by marshland to the north. Excavations in 1950 produced Neolithic, Iron Age and 10/11th century artefacts. Although dating of these early ring-wall castles is debated, it is thought the castle was built and occupied from the 10th century. Remains of sod-walled houses were also found inside the circle, but these are not visible to visitors today.

With a commanding position on a wooded hilltop, Lichtenberg Castle has spectacular views over the Fischbach Valley. Built in 1570, this was the first Renaissance castle in southern Hesse. Then it served as the summer residence for the landgraves of Darmstadt. Now at the centre of the UNESCO Bergstraße-Odenwald Geopark, the castle is home to an environmental museum, exploring the history of agriculture in the area and the Odenwald landscape.  The castle is a stop on a number of history and geography hiking trails. Guided tours of the castle are available.

In the centre of the East Frisian town of Pewsum is a small moated castle, the origins of which date back to 1458. Once the seat of the Manninga family, in 1565 the castle was sold to Count Edzard II, an East Frisian Lord. The castle was substantially rebuilt, but the ravages of time and repair costs took their toll. Today only the first floor of the castle remains with a small courtyard, a wide moat and the gatehouse. The castle houses a museum inside to the East Frisian lord and the history of the castle.

Built in the final decades of the 15th century for Archbishop Ernest of Saxony, Moritzburg Castle is one of the finest examples of a residential late medieval fortress. By the beginning of the 16th century under Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg it was a magnificently furnished archbishop’s residence. An almost regular quadrangle, it was surrounded by a swampy moat. The castle suffered considerable damage during the 30 Year’s War. The castle lay in ruin until 1900 when renovations commenced and it became the venue for the art museum of the state Saxony-Anhalt.

Built in the 12th century to secure imperial rule in the Wetterau region by the Hohenstaufen dynasty. This was a noble family that from the 11th to the 13th century rose to rule in Holy Roman Empire. Today it is one of the best preserved Romanesque castles in Germany. Known locally as the ‘Wetterau Inkwell’ because of the two, distinctive and well preserved round towers that stand at either end of the inner ward. The tallest being 29 metres high. Round towers like these are common for the time and area, but usually only one.