Burg und Kloster Oybin

About the museum

A fortification already stood on the sandstone rock of Oybin in the Zittau Mountains in the Bronze Age. Between 1311 and 1316 it was expanded under Heinrich von Leipa into a fortified castle that protected two trade routes across the mountain pass. From 1364 Emperor Charles IV had the Kaiserhaus built, and in 1369 he founded a monastery for the Celestine Order. The monastery church was built from 1366 to 1384 with the involvement of the Prague cathedral workshop.

Castle and monastery coexisted for about 200 years and repelled the Hussites in 1429. With the Reformation, monastic life came to an end. In 1577 a lightning strike and the fire that followed destroyed the complex, which was hardly used any more. A rockfall in 1681 caused further damage.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, painters discovered the ruins, which were overgrown by nature: Johann Alexander Thiele, Adrian Zingg, Caspar David Friedrich (1810) and Carl Gustav Carus made Oybin a subject of Romanticism. In 1829 the monastery church ruin was cleared of rubble, and restoration work has been ongoing since 1992. Today the Oybin Museum in the residential tower provides information on the history, and the Bahrhaus displays stove tiles from the castle and monastery.

Highlights

• Ruins of the monastery church from the time of Charles IV
• Oybin Museum in the residential tower with Romantic paintings
• Bahrhaus exhibition "Heilige und Sünder" with stove tiles
• Library window and Bergfriedhof (mountain cemetery)
• Circuit with 31 stations across a site of about 100,000 m²

Permanent exhibitions

• Der Oybin – ein Fels in der Weltgeschichte – The Oybin Museum in the residential tower tells the story of the castle, the monastery, Emperor Charles IV, the Celestines and the rediscovery of Oybin by the Romantics, with works by Caspar David Friedrich, Carl Gustav Carus and Johann Alexander Thiele.
• Heilige und Sünder – The restored museum room of the Bahrhaus displays Gothic leaf tiles and glazed Renaissance stove tiles from the castle and monastery.

Operated by

Fremdenverkehrsbetrieb Oybin

Admission & discounts

Seasonal prices: April to October, adults €9, reduced €8, children €3, family €22; November to March, adults €6, reduced €5.50, children €2, family €14. Free admission with the Schlösserland Card. Admission is also charged when visiting only the restaurant.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The historic Gebirgsexpress train runs step-free from Oybin station to the castle and monastery (Tue–Sun, Good Friday to October). Dogs are allowed on a leash. A toilet facility with a euro key (paid) is located at the P1-Zentrum car park in the village.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The "Sagenhafte Berg- und Burgführung" is also available for children's groups of all ages, in the evening with torches or lanterns. There are family and single-family tickets.

Getting there & parking

From Oybin station, the historic Gebirgsexpress runs to the castle and monastery at half-hourly or hourly intervals (Tue–Sun, Good Friday to October).

Amenities & dining

Food and drink on the mountain. Admission also applies to visits to the restaurant only.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit