Schloss Stolberg

On the mountain spur between the Kalten Tal and Lude valley lies Stolberg Castle in the Harz Mountains high above the roofs of the town of the same name. Climbing up to the imposing building reveals an impressive panorama. Until 1945, the castle was the seat of the Counts of Stolberg and the Princes of Stolberg-Stolberg. Today it is owned by the German Foundation for Monument Protection.

Stolberg Castle - a historical gem in the southern Harz Mountains

The Harz region is rich in castles and palaces. Harzgerode Castle and Heinrichsburg Castle are not far from Stolberg Castle. If you follow the Oranier Route from the Netherlands via Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, you will discover the whole range of German, Dutch and European history.

The great noble families were present here: Oranien-Nassau, the Ottonians and the House of Stolberg are some of them. If you stand in front of the impressive baroque portal with the Stolberg coat of arms, you will discover over 900 years of history. It goes back to the 13th century, to the beginnings of the widely ramified dynasty of princes. This is also reflected in the architecture.

Architectural traces of an eventful history

For generations, the castle next to Wernigerode served as the ancestral seat of the Princes and Counts of Stolberg. It was repeatedly adapted to changing needs. The oldest part, the round tower, was built around 1200.

The three-winged complex as a whole was built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century. Its beginnings can be traced back to Andreas Günther von Komotau, who worked as a princely country architect at the courts of Elector Johann Friedrich of Saxony in Torgau and for Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg in Halle (on the Saale). This points to the former importance of Stolberg Castle.

Around 1700, a Baroque terraced garden was built on the remains of the former fortifications with water features and a pavilion, which you can visit again today.

Ancestral seat of one of the oldest noble families in Germany

On the castle steps, on the terrace, you will find a monument to Juliana zu Stolberg. It shows her as a young girl. Juliana zu Stolberg was born in the castle in 1506 and spent her childhood here and in Wernigerode until the age of 13. She is the ancestress of numerous ruling European royal and princely houses, such as the Orange, and thus a direct ancestress of Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands.

Until the land reform in 1945, Stolberg Castle in the Harz Mountains was the ancestral seat of the Counts of Stolberg-Stolberg. In 1948 it was converted into a recreation home for the teachers' union of the GDR. Since 2002, the castle has been owned by the German Foundation for Monument Protection. With their initiative, extensive restoration measures were carried out.

Stolberg Castle in the Harz Mountains: Museum, Hotel and Park

The museum set up in the castle provides an insight into the life of the nobility. In the south-east wing you can visit the reception room with its magnificent ceiling painting and the Red Hall, which was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. A Baroque altar awaits you in the restored palace church.

In the newly laid-out garden you will find the lovingly rebuilt garden pavilion. The interplay of historical buildings, panorama and park is a delight for garden lovers. The hotel use blends harmoniously into the ensemble.