Castles and Ruins

This collection highlights the diverse fortification landscape of Central Germany, primarily focusing on the Thuringian region. It features a range of architectural styles, from the 8th-century ruins of Mühlburg—the oldest of the Drei Gleichen group—to the grand Baroque Stadtschloss Eisenach. Visitors can explore specialized museums like the porcelain exhibition at Leuchtenburg, well-preserved medieval hilltop fortresses such as Burg Lauenstein, and atmospheric ruins like Haineck and Pöllnitz that document the region's feudal history and defensive evolution.

Burg Creuzburg

A medieval hilltop castle northwest of Eisenach, once a residence of the Landgraves of Thuringia. It features a museum, a historic chapel, and is closely associated with the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

Stadtschloss Eisenach

An 18th-century Baroque palace located on Eisenach's market square. Formerly the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Eisenach, it now houses the Thuringian Museum's collections of porcelain, art, and regional history.

Leuchtenburg

A well-preserved medieval hilltop castle known as the 'Queen of the Saale Valley.' It features the 'Porcelain Worlds' museum and a 20-meter skywalk offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Burg Lauenstein

A 12th-century hilltop fortress featuring a mix of medieval and Renaissance architecture. The castle museum displays historic living quarters, weaponry, and regional heritage items.

Mühlburg

The oldest of the three 'Drei Gleichen' castles, dating back to 704. The ruins include a 22-meter observation tower and a small museum documenting the site's archaeological history.

Wachsenburg Castle

Wachsenburg Castle is a castle in Amt Wachsenburg in the Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany.

Mylau Castle

Mylau Castle is a fortification on a spur in Mylau, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany. It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Saxony.

Burg Lobenstein

Medieval castle ruins featuring a prominent 30-meter-high keep. The tower serves as a lookout point over the historic center of Bad Lobenstein and the surrounding Thuringian Slate Mountains.

Burgruine Haineck

The ruins of a 14th-century hilltop castle near Nazza. The site preserves two defensive towers and portions of the curtain wall, located on the edge of the Hainich National Park.

Schloss Friedrichswerth

A late 17th-century Baroque palace built by Duke Frederick I of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The complex includes a symmetrical main building and a surrounding park, built on the site of a former moated castle.

Burg Pöllnitz

The ruins of a medieval moated castle located along the Pöllnitzbach. It represents the remains of a significant local noble seat in the Greiz district.