Late Gothic rock castle above the Zschopau river with a 45-meter residential tower, the painted Kriebstein Room, castle chapel, and treasure vault.
April 1, 2026 – October 31, 2026
Oil paintings by artist Uwe Gerschler depict more than twenty palaces and castles in Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt from varying perspectives.
On a steep rocky spur above the Zschopau, the von Beerwalde family began building a castle as a residence and seat of power in 1384; by around 1407 the buildings were largely complete. After Dietrich von Beerwalde died in 1408, the property passed to his widow and later to his daughter. In 1415, the knight Dietrich von Staupitz occupied the castle and was besieged by Margrave Frederick the Belligerent – the origin of the legend of the faithful wives who carried their husbands out of the castle on their backs.
A second major building phase began under Hugold III von Schleinitz from 1465: Arnold von Westfalen, master builder of the Albrechtsburg in Meissen, designed the service wing, kitchen house, and rear palace in the Gothic style, giving the castle the extent still visible today. After frequent changes of ownership, the von Schönberg family added stories to several buildings in the late 17th century. In 1825, Hanscarl von Arnim acquired the castle, which remained in the family until 1945; from 1866 to 1868, court architect Carl Moritz Haenel remodeled it in Neo-Gothic style.
In 1930, the von Arnims opened parts of the restored castle to visitors, and Kriebstein has since been regarded as Saxony's most beautiful knight's castle. After expropriation in 1945, the complex was first used for housing and forestry administration; the museum reopened in 1949. Since 1993, the castle has belonged to the Free State of Saxony and is now operated by the Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH.
Highlights include the residential tower with its oriel turrets, the Kriebstein Room – a 15th-century painted plank-paneled chamber – the castle chapel with late Gothic murals, and, in the treasure vault, parts of a treasure discovered in a chimney in 1986. The castle has also served as a film location, for example for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
| Adults | €8 |
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| Reduced | €7School students aged 17 and over, apprentices, university students, volunteer service and military service members, people with severe disabilities, recipients of unemployment benefits, social welfare, or asylum seeker benefits, refugees with a residence permit pending asylum or a temporary suspension of deportation (Duldung), holders of a social pass or the Saxon Ehrenamtskarte (volunteer card), members of the Bundesverband deutscher Gästeführer (federal association of German tour guides) and the Verband deutscher Kunsthistoriker (association of German art historians) |
| Children & teens | €1free up to age 5 · Children up to 5 free, ages 6–16 €1. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €7companion free · Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities; companions of visitors with the “B” marker admitted free. |
| Students & apprentices | €7Reduced admission for university students, apprentices, and school students aged 17 and over. |
| Groups (15+ people) | €7 per personGroups of 15 or more €7 per person; school classes €1 per student, one accompanying adult free per 10 students or daycare children; tour leaders and bus drivers free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; holders of the Landesfamilienpass Sachsen (Saxon family pass) are admitted free (except for events, special exhibitions, and guided tours). |
| Combination ticket Burg Kriebstein + Burg Mildenstein (valid 3 days) | €14Reduced €12; not valid for special events at the other castle. |
| Escape game “Lüftet die Geheimnisse der Ritterburg” | €30For 2 participants including museum admission, each additional person €15, max. 4 people per session; in season only. |
Free admission for, among others, children up to 5, birthday children, holders of the schlösserlandKARTE (also for the special exhibition; not for the escape game), Landesfamilienpass holders, journalists, and members of ICOM, ICOMOS, and the Deutscher Museumsbund. Guided castle tour (approx. 1 hour, booking required) for groups of up to 14 people: admission plus a €75 surcharge; for 15 or more people: plus €5 per person. Tickets at the museum ticket desk (cash or card) or in the online shop.
Only the Columned Hall and the Well Room are accessible; many stairs and uneven floors are not passable by wheelchair, and assistance may be needed to cross the cobbled castle courtyard. Accessible restroom in the courtyard (Euro key, otherwise ask staff). Two free accessible parking spaces directly in front of the castle.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
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Family tours, holiday programs and an escape game; for daycare and school groups, the "Ritterburg" (knight's castle) project as well as activity modules such as trying on armor, archery and crossbow shooting, or medieval dances.
Train to Waldheim (approx. 5 km to the castle); bus from Waldheim station to Kriebethal (weekdays only, then approx. 30 min. walk); on weekends, bus Chemnitz–Frankenberg–Mittweida–Kriebstein (“Zschopautaler”, then approx. 10 min. walk)
Paid parking · 5-min walk to the entrance
Paid parking lots run by the municipality of Kriebstein: parking lot below the castle (about a 5-minute walk), large parking lot at the dam (about 10 minutes), Kriebethal parking lot with an e-charging station (about 15 minutes); directly at the castle, 4 regular and 2 free accessible parking spaces.
By car via the A4 (exit Hainichen) or the A14 (exit Döbeln-Nord via Döbeln toward Waldheim), then follow the tourist signs.
Get directionsBackpacks and bulky items must be stored in lockers. Dogs are not allowed in the museum rooms.
Up to 99 guests.
Great Banquet Hall (80 banquet/99 theater-style seats), Columned Hall (60/70), and Small Event Hall (20) for celebrations, conferences, and concerts. Civil weddings year-round in the Great Banquet Hall and Small Event Hall (Hainichen registry office), church weddings in the castle chapel (couple plus max. 15 guests); knights' banquets and wedding packages.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
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| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided castle tours (approx. 60 min.) through the castle chapel and museum rooms with advance booking at tel. 034327 952-30. The tour into the late Gothic roof structure of the residential tower is currently not possible due to construction work. For school classes and daycare groups, “Projekt Ritterburg” (knight's castle project; approx. 150 min., with modules such as weaponry, life at court, and handicrafts) as well as shorter activity modules. |
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