Willibaldsburg Castle

Eichstätt, Germany

The castle complex on the Willibaldsberg was begun in 1355 and extended in the second half of the 16th century under Martin von Schaumberg. It was transformed into an impressive residence by Elias Holl during the reign of Prince-Bishop Johann Conrad von Gemmingen (1595-1612) – at this stage of the building's history the towers were crowned by onion domes.

Gemmingen also laid out the renowned botanical garden Hortus Eystettensis. Based on the copperplate engravings illustrating the plant collection which were created in 1613 by Basilius Besler, the Bastion Garden opened in 1998 reproduces the plant world of the original botanical garden.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1355
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Scott Winters (2 years ago)
A fantastic museum with many fossils you won’t see anywhere else, especially the Eichstatt Archeaopteryx specimen! An absolute must for anyone interested in paleontology!
Christian Jose Alfaro Rojas (3 years ago)
Nice place a lot of information, no shop, cheap entrance
P Knut (3 years ago)
A great natural history museum in the Altmuthal! Wonderful fossils! Great for kids! My favorite is the horseshoe crab fossil that also contains the animal's final footprints. There is a great view of the area from up there. Not a large museum, can get through pretty quick, but it is a good walk from the parking areas.
Fernando AC (4 years ago)
Not really interesting.
Powered by Google

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.