Cadolzburg Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Visit this Attractive 12th C Sandstone Castle in Southern Germany
Aug 13, 2008
The castle is in a fairy-tale setting – it is perched on a very steep rocky outcrop. This gave it a good defensive position, further enhanced by the high curtain wall.The first mention of Cadolzburg was in 1157, but a lot of what the visitor sees is the Lower Castle. It was then that the Hohnzollerns acquired it, and extended the original old castle and added the wall.
Visitors enter the Lower Castle through the gatehouse in the south-east of the site. The schoolhouse is to the right and the granary on the left – straight ahead is the Old Castle which is the original structure. This is viewed across the gardens in the courtyard.
Continuing northwards, the castle is surrounded by a moat and is accessed via the a drawbridge and the gatehouse. After passing through the gatehouse, the original Old Castle is to the left. The kitchens and the massive chimney stack of the old castle can be seen on the left, the chapel straight ahead and the New Castle, which dates from the year 1250, is the large building on the right (see photograph from the drawbridge gatehouse viewpoint).
In 1945 Cadolzburg Castle was extensively damaged by a fire which burned to the outer walls during fighting in the last days of the Second World War. The Bavarian Palace Department has been restoring the building since 1971 – the work was extensive and included reinforcing the rocky outcrop on which the castle stands. There remains some work to be done inside which will then host a museum.
Cadolzburg is well worth a visit because its compact nature makes it easy for younger visitors to take in the defensive design of the castle. They can thus appreciate the difference between the Lower castle which is the more spacious accommodation suitable for times of peace, and the defensive Upper castle to the north with its moat, drawbridge and high wall giving an obviously more restricted but safer construction in times of war.
The sandstone from which the castle is made is interesting – in some parts of the blocks the layered structure can be seen, as the sandstone was deposited from rivers which sometimes changed direction, giving a varied layering.
Visiting Cadolzburg
There is no charge for admission to the castle (as of 2008). This may change after the internal works and museum are complete.
Getting There
By car
Cadolzburg is 15km from Nürnberg, which is on the A6, A3 and A9 motorways.
By Public Transport
Cadolzburg is on the VGN rail line R11 which runs from Fürth Hauptbahnhof to Cadolzburg. The R1 continues from Fürth Hauptbahnhof to Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof
Location
on Google Maps
GPS Location
49.46N 10.85E
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