Altenburg Castle, Bamberg, Germany

Altenburg castle is perched on top of Bamberg's highest hill and is one of Bamberg's major landmarks. The castle was first mentioned in 1109 and was used at this time as a refuge. In the 14th and 15th centuries it served as a richly furnished residence for Bamberg's bishops, but was almost completely destroyed in 1553 by margrave Alfred Alcibiades von Brandenburg-Kulmbach in the second margrave war.

The only remains of the medieval construction are the 33 metre keep from the 13th century and parts of the surrounding wall. An iron basket hangs from the upper section of the tower which was used to send fire signals to Giechburg castle near Scheßlitz, 20km away.

In the Romance period, Altenburg was rebuilt. E.T.A. Hoffmann retreated to one of the wall towers in 1812, to which the 'Hoffmannsklause' restaurant in the new building of the former palace (1901/02) owes its name. The terrace commands a panoramic view of the episcopal town and the surrounding region.

The restaurant was formed after the takeover by the 'Altenburg club'. The premises were located as it is today in the cultivation of the gatehouse. The kitchen, a vaulted room was built in 1834. In the last quarter of the 19th Century the premises has been newly decorated. Lippel family took over the restaurant in 1972.

References:

Bamberg Info

User Reviews

Jered McGivern (13 months ago)
Amazing trip up to this castle. You cannot see it from below and I didn't really even know it was up there except for the location on Google maps. There is a trail up the hill with a few meters with no sidewalk up a steep hill. Once you get there you're welcome with stunning views of Bamberg. Beer garden with food is your prize! Includes a rather large assortment of beer options compared to other local establishments. It costs 1 € to climb the tower, but other than that it's free!

Vitaly Geraskin (15 months ago)
The restaurant is located in the most important Bamberg tourist attraction - the Altenburg castle. Around fifty people can dine in, plus a couple of hundred seats in the beergarden. Good choice of beer, classic German food: meat, wurst, schnitzel. On Saturday lunchtime traditional German music band was playing inside.

Vasilis Zouloumis (2 years ago)
Nice view to grab a bite to eat. The castle is beautiful and the food is pretty good for a tourist attraction.

John Farrell (2 years ago)
Amazing views over Bamberg. Delicious food and great beers, plus it's lovely to just walk around and explore the castle area (great for kids too). We've also been to the evening restaurant, which is also excellent. Highly recommended if you're in the area. Cheers to Oliver and all. ?

Yaman Kayal (3 years ago)
nice place. Bamberg in General is very amazing and relaxing city to visit. The view from The Altenbug is insanly beautiful. Moreover, drinking something there with such a view is very nice. Highly recommended to visit Bamberg and to drive up to the Altenburg

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Kakesbeck Castle

Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.

The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.

Altenburg 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

Kakesbeck Castle