Castles and Palaces in Thuringia
Romanesque village churches, towering cathedrals, bizarre castles, princely palaces, classicist theaters and buildings dot Thuringia’s landscape. The Free State is famed as the land of castles and palaces. Beautifully restored palaces with engrossing exhibitions grace centers of ancient power such as Gotha, Altenburg, Rudolstadt and many more.
Numerous small and medium-sized towns are former capitals, and the relics of these dynasties are open to visitors. Castles such as the “Triplets” - Creuzburg Castle, Runneburg Castle and the World Heritage site Wartburg Castle - give us a glimpse of how people used to live in medieval Europe. Wartburg Castle is also where Martin Luther translated the New Testament, immortalizing the fortress in the history of both Thuringia and the world. Legend has it that Louis the Jumper began building the Castle in 1067 on a 400-meter-high cliff near Eisenach.
Medieval festivals and castle concerts aren’t performed at Wartburg Castle only. Many of the Free State’s other castles provide the scenery for all kinds of festivities, conferences and events. In fact, castles stretch along either side of the Saale River, which for centuries separated Franconians, Thuringians and Saxons from the Slavic Sorbians. Buildings that have weathered centuries attest to the skills of the architects of yore.
