Giechburg Castle, Schesslitz, Germany

First mentioned in 1125, Giechburg castle was in possession of Bamberg's prince-bishops since 1390. During wartimes it burned down several times, was rebuilt, destroyed again and rebuilt once more in 1600. In 1971 the administrative district of Bamberg bought Giechburg castle and restored it. Nowadays Giechburg castle is a popular excursion destination including a restaurant which offers a venue for meetings and cultural events. At an altitude of 520 metres you can enjoy a wonderful view across the region of Bamberg. Various art exhibitions take place in the donjon regularly.

Archeological evidence indicates that this hilltop was fortified as far back as Neolithic times. From 1421 until 1459, a period of disorder associated with the Hussites in nearby Bohemia, the castle was further fortified and strengthened until it took its final form as a mature medieval castle with a keep.

As gunpowder warfare matured, Giechburg was no longer useful as a strongpoint. It was adaptively reused by the prince-bishops, especially Johann Philipp von Gebsattel, as a hunting lodge and by later prince-bishops as the headquarters of a horse farm. However, with secularization in 1802, Giechburg no longer had an owner with an interest in maintenance and upkeep. The former castle was used as a quarry for dressed stone, and became a ruin.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Torsten Meyer (13 months ago)
Nice destination with hiking opportunities.

Cielo del Cielo (14 months ago)
Nice place to walk. Parking lots available either up or down the castle. The views above is amazing. There is also a coffee shop above if you want to have snacks.

Schorsch K (21 months ago)
Great view from the building down to the Steigerwald. You can drive right up there a few parking spaces available. Also 2 for charge ur electric Car

Ankit Ramani (2 years ago)
Awesome place for one day trip for hikers, tracker and also you can spend time with kids too.

Katarzyna Grzegorzewska (2 years ago)
Piękne widoki po intensywnym spacerze pod górę

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright levaletfrancois

Historic Site of the week

Château de Falaise

Château de Falaise is best known as a castle, where William the Conqueror, the son of Duke Robert of Normandy, was born in about 1028. William went on to conquer England and become king and possession of the castle descended through his heirs until the 13th century when it was captured by King Philip II of France. Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840 it has been protected as a monument historique.

The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

In about 1207, after having conquered Normandy, Philip II Augustus ordered the building of a new cylindrical keep. It was later named the Talbot Tower (Tour Talbot) after the English commander responsible for its repair during the Hundred Years' War. It is a tall round tower, similar design to the towers built at Gisors and the medieval Louvre.Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840, Château de Falaise has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Giechburg Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Historic Site of the week

Château de Falaise

Looks like you are a history fan!