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

Phinja 82 (2 years ago)
Very beautiful view. Worth a visit if you're in the area. I definitely expected more.

stephanie Müller (2 years ago)
A beautiful historical place. Very great view. There is a parking lot nearby. Can be easily reached on foot.

Maria Günther (3 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.

Franziska S (3 years ago)
Nice place, there is a parking lot nearby. Deduction of one point because the building shown is inhabited. Very uncomfortable when you take photos and then realize that someone lives there. The actual ruin is a bit higher, great view and easy to reach.

Hans H. (3 years ago)
The place to be

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Roman Moško

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle

Trenčín Castle is relatively large renovated castle, towering on a steep limestone cliff directly above the city of Trenčín. It is a dominant feature not only of Trenčín, but also of the entire Považie region. The castle is a national monument.

History of the castle cliff dates back to the Roman Empire, what is proved by the inscription on the castle cliff proclaiming the victory of Roman legion against Germans in the year 179.

Today’s castle was probably built on the hill-fort. The first proven building on the hill was the Great Moravian rotunda from the 9th century and later there was a stone residential tower, which served to protect the Kingdom of Hungary and the western border. In the late 13th century the castle became a property of Palatine Matúš Csák, who became Mr. of Váh and Tatras.

Matúš Csák of Trenčín built a tower, still known as Matthew’s, which is a dominant determinant of the whole building.

Tharandt Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Trencín Castle