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Heimatmuseum im Schloss Brenz in Sontheim an der Brenz
Photo: Guido Serino
Heimatmuseum im Schloss Brenz in Sontheim an der Brenz – Photo 1 of 1
Photo: Guido Serino

Heimatmuseum im Schloss Brenz

Local history museum in Brenz Castle, established in 1906, with fossils, costumes, castle and church history and a Geopark information point.

Opening hoursAdmission €2.50 Partially accessible
Limited operations. The Knights' Hall cannot currently be visited due to renovation work. From November to April the castle is closed.

Current exhibitions

August 9, 2026 – November 1, 2026

Wanted – Der Luchs

Travelling exhibition of the Luchs-Initiative Baden-Württemberg (Lynx Initiative Baden-Württemberg) at Schloss Brenz: roll-up banners on the lynx’s habitat, hunting behaviour and threats, plus a preserved specimen of the animal.

About the museum

The local history museum in Brenz Castle was founded in 1906 by senior teacher Hans Wagner and is one of the oldest museums in Baden-Württemberg. The impulse came from the painter Heinrich Eberhard, who showed studies in the Rittersaal (Knights' Hall) in the summer of 1906. Wagner contributed his stone collection of fossils from the Swabian Jura, which remains the core of the earth history section today.

The castle itself goes back to a medieval fortress; after its destruction in the Thirty Years' War, it was rebuilt from 1671/72 as a Renaissance castle with baroque elements. In 1848 the municipality bought the complex and used it as a town hall, school and at times as a church; the museum moved in in 1906. After extensive renovation, the castle has been open again since autumn 2011, and since 2012 it has also been an information point of the UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb.

The collections were initially housed in the Knights' Hall and later in the Hans-Weiss-Saal, and are now on the third floor. They focus on the history of the castle and church and on village life, with tableware, farm tools and a collection of costumes from the lower Brenz valley, which is shown in its own room on the second floor.

Highlights

  • Fossil collection from the Swabian Jura
  • Costume collection from the lower Brenz valley
  • Historic castle rooms such as the Tafelzimmer (dining room)
  • Information point of the UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb
  • Weaving room

Permanent exhibitions

  • Schloss- und Kirchengeschichte – The history of castle and fortress, of the Reformation, and of church and state; the Knights' Hall and the dining room convey the Baroque era.
  • Trachtensammlung und bäuerliches Leben – Costumes of the Swabian Alb and the lower Brenz valley with ribbons, bonnets and shawls; a weaving room shows the processing of raw materials.
  • Fossiliensammlung und Geopark-Infostelle – Fossils from the Swabian Jura, including small animals in very good condition, and information from the UNESCO Global Geopark Swabian Alb.
Founded
1906
Operated by
Gemeinde Sontheim an der Brenz

Admission & discounts

Adults€2.50
Reduced€1.50Eligible visitors, including people with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 and above)
Children & teens€1.50free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 13 pay €1.50, children up to 5 are admitted free; from age 14 the regular admission of €2.50 applies.
Visitors with disabilities€1.50People with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher) pay reduced admission.
Groups–Groups may visit during opening hours only with advance registration and within a limited group size (regular admission). Outside opening hours: guided tour flat fee plus admission.
Families–When two adults pay admission, children and young people up to 18 are free.
Group tour outside opening hours (groups under 20 people)€20plus regular admission; advance registration only
Group tour outside opening hours (groups of 20 or more)€15plus regular admission; advance registration only
Costume tour "Die Schlosswache plaudert" (per group)€40plus regular admission; advance registration only

Free admission for members of ICOM and the Museumsverband Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Museum Association), and for holders of the AlbCard.

Accessibility

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

According to the museum, Schloss Brenz has few barriers and has a passenger lift.

Kids & families

Kids’ admissionfree up to age 5

    Children and young people up to 18 enter free when two adults pay admission.

    Getting there & parking

    By car

    Parking available

    Castle parking lot, Sontheimer Straße 12, 89567 Sontheim an der Brenz (district of Brenz).

    Get directions

    Amenities & dining

    The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

    Events & venue rental

    • Spaces for rent

    Up to 100 guests.

    The castle's Knights' Hall (up to 100 guests), Hans-Weiss-Saal (up to 45 guests) and vaulted cellar (up to 20 guests) can be rented. The Knights' Hall is expected to be unavailable until autumn 2027 due to renovation; rentals during opening hours only by arrangement.

    Inquiries & details

    Plan your visit

    Guided toursyes
    Good to knowGroup tours only by advance registration; besides the regular tours, there is the costume tour "Die Schlosswache plaudert".

    Museums nearby

    Also listed under

    Heimatmuseum im Schloss BrenzOpening hoursAdmission €2.50

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