Tharandt Castle, Tharandt, Germany

Tharandt Castle ruins is located on a mountain spur high above Tharandt. The castle was built at the beginning of the 13th century at the order of Margrave Dietrich of Meissen to protect against the neighboring counts of Dohna. Already in 1224 it burned down during a war campaign, but was rebuilt in 1240-1256. At the end of the 14th century the castle was fortified in such a way that it was considered one of the strongest in the country. The counts of Dohna, who were very powerful in the border region (but also acted as robber barons), completely lost their importance in the course of the Dohna feud (1385-1402), so that Tharandt Castle also lost its defensive function. During the Hussite invasion in 1429, it was fought over and, because of its strength, served as a storehouse for documents and valuables of the Elector.

From 1476, Duchess Sidonie temporarily stayed at the castle. She was the daughter of the Bohemian King George of Podiebrad and was married to the Saxon Duke Albrecht to seal the Treaty of Cheb, which regulated the Saxon-Bohemian border that is still valid today. From 1500 she lived there permanently until her death in 1510. After that, the castle was no longer inhabited and was gradually dismantled. The neighboring mountain church was built in 1626-1629 on a part of the castle complex and using materials from the castle.

From the end of the 18th century the castle ruins came back into focus in the course of castle romanticism and were depicted by many romantic painters and draftsmen.

The Tharandt Castle next to the castle ruins was built in 1858-1861 as the studio of a sculptor. From 1866 it was rebuilt by a new owner into a romantic residential castle in Moorish-Oriental Tudor style. The present appearance is due to a fire in 1936. The castle was then used by the Tharandt Forestry School (now part of the TU Dresden) until 2000. Since 2002, the castle has been privately owned and is being renovated step by step. Inside, the work has been largely completed. From the outside, there is still a lot of work to be done.

References:

elbelabe.eu

User Reviews

Rosalinde Lipfert (10 months ago)
Nice quiet place. You can walk directly along the road or take the forest. The forest path is for those who want to work out. But you have to know your way around to find the right path. It's free.

Frank Oppermann (13 months ago)
A small castle ruin with a view of the mountain church "Zum Heiligen Kreuz", Tharandt Castle and the valleys around Tharandt. The Weißeritz flows through one of the valleys. The castle ruins belong on every visitor list. Admission is free.

Phinja 82 (3 years ago)
Very beautiful view. Worth a visit if you're in the area. I definitely expected more.

stephanie Müller (3 years ago)
A beautiful historical place. Very great view. There is a parking lot nearby. Can be easily reached on foot.

Maria Günther (4 years ago)
In fact, these are the ruins of a small, insignificant castle, which unfortunately was abandoned several hundred years ago. It still consists of one side of the wall and some window openings. There is also an information sign. Not more. If you are in the village, the ascent is worthwhile for a beautiful view. I cannot recommend an excursion just to get to the ruins.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Andy Hay

Historic Site of the week

Argos Theater

The ancient Argos Theater was built in 320 BC. and is located in Argos, Greece against Larissa Hill. Nearby from this site is Agora, Roman Odeon, and the Baths of Argos. The theater is one of the largest architectural developments in Greece and was renovated in ca 120 AD.

The Hellenistic theater at Argos is cut into the hillside of the Larisa, with 90 steps up a steep incline, forming a narrow rectilinear cavea. Among the largest theaters in Greece, it held about 20,000 spectators and is divided by two landings into three horizontal sections. Staircases further divide the cavea into four cunei, corresponding to the tribes of Argos A high wall was erected to prevent unauthorized access into the theatron and may have helped the acoustics, but it is said the sound quality is still very good today.

Around 120 CE, both theaters were renovated in the Roman style.

Tharandt Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Argos Theater