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

Rebekah Bruckner (2 years ago)
Beautiful, just a little pricey since it's in a tourist area

bluesky bluesky (2 years ago)
Very nice staff, calm place and an awesome view from the tower. Hiked up from the city via the Rübezahlweg... worth a hike and worth a stay! Looking forward to summer to test the beer garden:)

Jed Danbury (2 years ago)
Wonderful views and an impressive place. Get ready for lots of stairs if you visit the top of the tower. Restaurant was also very nice, staff attentive and food was excellent.

Karthik Orugonda (2 years ago)
Nice view of Bamberg City

Miran Munjas (3 years ago)
Entire Bamberg at the palm of your hand. 1 euro entrance to the tower since maintenance is mostly volunteer based. I paid with delight because view is more than worth it.

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