Wartburg Castle
Wartburg Castle represents the feudal period in Central Europe and is associated with a number of historic events.
Located on a hilltop and surrounded by forests, this “ideal castle” took shape in the late 12th century but was transformed to the current layout during 19th-century reconstructions. The Castle's history has been coloured by theological and artistic highlights rather than for military reasons. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the place where Martin Luther translated the New Testament of the Bible into German, and the site of the Wartburg festival of 1817.
Community Perspective: The impressive exterior stands out for its use of different styles and materials. A guided tour of the interior is worthwhile too, especially to see the ornate Festival Hall, the Ladies' Chamber and Martin Luther’s room. Brush up on your German because English and self-guided audio tours are not frequently available.
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Airpunk
In 2020, there were only two smaller windows when I had the money to travel, the time to travel and the possibility to travel with the Covid-19 restrictions in place. I managed to visit four UNESCO WHS sites before even harsher restrictions came in place and tourist attractions were closed. Wartburg Castle was the last one of them in October 2020.
Wartburg Castle is a beautiful castle of medieval origin, located on a rock above the city of Eisenach. Although its 19th century preservation measure were not always historically correct, it is in a very good state and a popular tourist attraction. The inner court with a restaurant can be visited for free, the south tower can be climbed by throwing a 1 Euro coin into an automatic turnstile. For the castle itself, you need a ticket which can be bought in the visitors' centre.
Inside, the history of the castle is explained together with possible purposes of the rooms as you go through. The castle is connected to several historical figures or events in German history. That includes Elizabeth of Thuringia (Countess Consort who lived in the castle, later canonized as saint), Martin Luther (who hid in the castle and translated the new testament into German there), student rallies in the early 19th century (which finally led to an unified Germany sixty years later) and Kaiser Wilhelm II (who did not live in the castle but sponsored the restoration and renovation of several rooms, including some monumental paintings, mosaics and frescoes). According to a legend, which first appeared in the early 13th century, a singing competition took place (Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg) there which made its way into several German medieval literary works. Of course, also the “Sängerkrieg” is mentioned in the exhibition.
The visit was formerly only by guided tour, but this was replaced by a self-guided tour to load onto your smartphone in order to cope with Covid-19 measures (distance of 1,5 metres between visitors). Due to the latter, also the queue to get into the castle goes into the uncovered inner court. Depending on waiting time (which can be hours on busy days) and weather conditions, this can be an unpleasant experience. Although the castle staff says that a castle visit takes about an hour, it is actually closer to 1 ½. Information of the exhibits is in German and English. Taking pictures inside the castle is prohibited. I can't say if there are any changes expected once Covid-19 is under control. All info as of October 2020.
I enjoyed my visit to Wartburg Castle and would recommend it to those who like such places. If you like hiking as well, there are several paths leading through the woods or along a road from Eisenach up to the castle. For those restricted in mobility or don't like to walk, there are hourly buses (line 3) calling at several stops in the city centre and running up to the Wartburg. A paid parking lot is also available next to the castle.
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Jakob Frenzel
November 2019 - While my wife joined a workshop in Erfurt, me and my daughter visited a few sights in Thuringia on daytrips and enjoyed eating Thüringer Klöße. The weather was quite nice that day, so we jumped in the car, drove the few km from Erfurt to Eisenach, parked the car somewhere on the bottom of the hill to avoid parking cost and made our way uphill. After 30min hike with the baby on my chest, we entered the castle. We attended the next available tour and visited all rooms of the castle. The castle is quite a mixture of architectual styles, and not much can be really appointed to the middle ages. The Wartburg Castle is a symbol for German Nationalism, which back then might have had its good, democratic views, but nowadays is rather frightening. Nowadays Burschenschaften, that meet here regularly are being seen as antiquated, authority seeking, and antidemocratic. However we enjoyed the architecture, the wonderful view at the Thüringer Wald, although clouds arised, and the historic traces of Luther.
Definitely a special place to visit, the history, the neogothic rooms and mosaics are amazing, and the whole area is a good place to visit. We still drove to Hainich that day, but had to shorten our hike, due to upcoming dusk and rain.
Michael Turtle
Although you can get up to the castle and see the outside of it for free, it’s only possible to go inside with regular guided tours. Inside the castle, the evidence of styles of even more generations is on display. From beautiful golden mosaics, to magnificent frescoes, to the ornate decorations of the Festival Hall, the artwork tells the story of the castle’s history through the images and through its influences. It really is not worth going to the castle and not taking the tour.
I walked there from the Eisenach train station which took about 45 minutes but it was a lovely climb up through the forest. It gives you a good perspective of how fortified the castle was, when you realise how steep the hill is!! :)
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Klaus Freisinger
The Wartburg is the iconic German castle, known worldwide for its association with Martin Luther. Even though it was constructed in the 11th century, today's appearance largely dates to the 19th century and shows this period's imagination of what a medieval castle might have looked like. Historically, it is important first and foremost for Luther's stay in 1521/22, when he hid from the Pope and the Emperor and translated the Bible into German, thereby giving rise to the modern German language. Also, St. Elizabeth of Thuringia lived there in the 12th century, and in 1817 and 1848, the so-called Wartburg Festivals took place there, which led to the movement to create a democratic and united Germany. For today's visitors, there is a bus line leaving right from the train station in Eisenach, which, however, does not reach the entrance. A rather steep walk (or donkey ride) is also required. Inside, you can see everything you would imagine a medieval German castle to be, but of course, not everything is really original. The guided tours are quite interesting and take you to the highlight, the room where Luther pored over his Bible translation and allegedly threw an inkwell at the devil who dared to distract him. I visited on Reformation Day (not intentionally), and the castle was very crowded, but still, it was a nice experience, not least for the great views over the surrounding hills and forests coloured by a crisp Indian Summer day.
Clyde
I visited this WHS in June 2013. I drove here by car early in the morning - and a pleasant drive it was ... sunshine, a cool breeze, winding roads and then the castle itself. The 5 Euro parking ticket seemed to be rather excessive and a bit of a tourist trap (a bit like Kinderdijk's parking lot and other UNESCO parking lots). I was there early on purpose to avoid the crowds. The highlight of the castle's exterior was the different style and material used to build this peculiar castle. The tower offers interesting courtyard views (you have to pay 50cents to climb 2 flights of steps). The best views I enjoyed were those just before the castle entrance (next to the iron cannons). The interior of the castle was a pleasant surprise. The only way to visit is with a German speaking guide (considering that this is a very popular national heritage and a WHS, a little leaflet with the commentary in other languages should be offered to foreign tourists and should be that difficult to organise I suppose!). I understood most of what was being said anyway but there were others in my group who couldn't follow what was being said. Still, the visit is very interesting for what you get to see and my personal favourite was the Ladies' Chamber with beautiful mosaics and Martin Luther's Room for its historical value. Photography without flash is allowed inside.
Hubert
In general, castles and palaces are not my favourite kind of WHS. But Wartburg Castle is an exception. I was there twice: on a foggy winter day in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and in the summer of 2009. Both times the atmosphere was different, but whatever the weather the location on a narrow, steep ridge is stunning. And obviously King Ludwig II of Bavaria was also impressed by the Wartburg. There he got a lot of inspiration for his Neuschwanstein Castle.
The Wartburg Castle was never destroyed by war and thus it is a mixture of different architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Historicism. The entrance gate and the half-timbered buildings of the outer bailey are from the 14th and 15th Century, the middle parts are from the mid-19th Century, and the main castle, the Palas, is in the Romanesque style. The entrance to the courtyards is free, but despite the queues a tour of the interior is worthwhile.
The Wartburg was significant for many periods of German history, and references can be seen inside the Palas. Noteworthy is the simply designed Romanesque knight's hall with its cross vault. In 1206, the Wartburg was the scene of the Minnesingers' contest. Although this is a legend, it has a historical background. At that time, the Wartburg was a famous centre for European arts and culture. The Thuringian landgrave Hermann I invited well-known poets and singers to stay at the Wartburg. However, the design of the Singers' Hall is a product of the imagination of the 19th Century. In the 13th Century, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary lived here. Scenes from her life are depicted in the Elizabeth bower, the walls and vault are decorated with colourful mosaics from the early 20th Century. And of course you can visit the sparsely furnished room where Luther translated the New Testament. In 1817, the Wartburg festival took place at the Wartburg Castle, an important event for the student fraternities who fought for a united German state. One of the highlights of the guided tour is the festival hall. Its ornate decoration made it one of the best examples of Historicism. Those who were impressed by the festival hall in the Neuschwanstein Castle can admire the original at the Wartburg.
Grace Raynor
I visited Wartburg in late November, 2008. A little snow made the landscape delightful. Wartburg is superb and you really must do the guided tour. Room after room of surprises and majestic architecture, paintings, tapestry. The Elisabeth bower was sublime. The articles in the museum section were incredible. I was truly enlightened about German history and ingenuity. You must take the opportunity to detour to this site.
Marcel
Wartburg Castle in Eisenach is really beautiful! We went there by feet from the city which took us around 30 minutes, way too much for older people I guess, especially when you consider the slope. But with a guided tour and a Thüringer Bratwurst afterwards it's really worth the walk up the hill. ;-)
Joseph M. Menius
I marvel at how the WARTBURG sits so majestically on that hillside overlooking Eisenach. One can understand why it was one of Martin Luther's favorite places to visit as you feel like your setting on top of the world. I been there several times and find it facinating on every visit.
Cassie
The Wartburg Castle is absolutely magnificent. I have no other experiences with castles to compare it to, and from living in Eisenach for two months I understand from the citizens that many consider it to be 'not a real castle' because of the fact it is so renovated; however, I still think it is a wonderful piece of architecture and history. The tour guide does an excellent job of relaying in English what the castle involves, the deep, rich history, and many important aspects of it's existence. I was also able to meet the owner, he is a lovely man....everyone who works there, works hard to ensure the castle remains as great as it was. I would highly recommend coming to Eisenach and staying, going to the castle, and just enjoying the town. Everyone is extremely nice, and we had an easy time getting around without a lot of German language experience.
Els Slots
A surprise visit this one was. After spending the Easter weekend in Weimar, I noticed I had to pass Eisenach to drive back to Holland. And my way-too-big-to-be-handy Germany road map showed "Wartburg Castle" next to Eisenach and the motorway. So I just had to take the chance. I always enjoy the anticipation that is involved in visiting sites unprepared. Will I be able to find it? I hope it isn't closed today! What's the story behind this site anyway?
The castle is well-signposted in Eisenach, even in Japanese! As castles go (and monasteries), Wartburg is located strategically on the top of a hill. According to reports I've read, the view from here on the surrounding countryside must be marvellous. However, the weather was so misty that morning that I didn't see the castle until I arrived at its bridge.
The castle has a quite unusual shape, a bit bulky. With a guided tour I visited its interior (I even had to queue to gain entrance, this is a really popular sight). In some rooms, only the Romanesque design can be admired (the 12th and 13th-century ones), others are brilliantly decorated (the ones that date from the 19th and 20th centuries). I finished my well-spent morning with a local Thüringer Bratwurst, providing more than enough calories to burn during the six-hour drive home.
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