Leuchtenburg

About the museum

The Leuchtenburg sits on a mountain spur almost 400 meters high above the Saale valley near Kahla. It is first mentioned in records in 1221 as the seat of the Lords of Lobdeburg-Leuchtenburg; from the late 14th century it was the center of a Wettin administrative district, and in the 15th century it was expanded into a fortress with several towers.

From 1724 to 1871, the complex served as a prison, poorhouse and asylum. After that, tourism discovered the castle: a hotel and inn were established, a first museum opened in the gatehouse in 1906, and in 1921 one of Thuringia's first youth hostels moved in, becoming a meeting place for the German youth movement. After the hostel closed in 1997, large parts stood empty.

In 2007, the newly founded non-profit Stiftung Leuchtenburg took over the castle and began a comprehensive restoration. Between 2010 and 2014, a visitor center and the exhibition "Porzellanwelten" were created; covering some 3,000 square meters, it tells the cultural history of porcelain from China to the present, drawing on the region's porcelain tradition.

The Porzellankirche (porcelain church) followed in 2016, and in 2021 the permanent exhibition "Mythos Burg" (Castle Myth) on the complex's 800-year history. A design collection on 20th-century porcelain rounds out the offerings; an inclined elevator up to the castle is under construction.

Highlights

• Porzellanwelten with seven experience rooms covering some 3,000 m²
• Eight-meter-tall ARURA vase, presented as the world's largest porcelain vase
• Steg der Wünsche: a footbridge projecting freely over the abyss for plate throwing
• Porcelain church, a sacred space unique in the world
• Permanent exhibition "Mythos Burg" on 800 years of castle history
• Panoramic trail around the castle with views of the Saale valley

Permanent exhibitions

• Porzellanwelten – Interactive tour through the cultural history of porcelain in seven themed rooms, with a giant vase and the Steg der Wünsche.
• Mythos Burg – Tells the eventful history of the complex as a fortress, prison, poorhouse and destination for day-trippers.
• Die neue Formenwelt – 20th-century German porcelain design from the Dieter Högermann collection, originally created for the Bauhaus centenary in 2019.

Founded

1906

Operated by

Stiftung Leuchtenburg

Director

Sven-Erik Hitzer (Stifter und Vorstand)

Admission & discounts

Payment in cash, by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) or Alipay; in the bistro and the Burgschänke (castle tavern) only EC/debit card. Special prices apply during events (e.g., the Christmas market).

Accessibility

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

Porzellanwelten, visitor center, bistro and terrace are wheelchair-accessible; elevator to the exhibitions and the castle restaurant, three accessible restrooms. Guests with limited mobility may drive up to the castle gate. Free loan of wheelchairs and rollators. Certified under "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All) (2016). Dogs are allowed on a leash.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Kids’ birthday parties

Hands-on participation is explicitly encouraged, for example at the treadwheel of the castle well or when mixing porcelain clay. Audio guide with its own children's tour; during holidays family tours, plus a ghost tour (ages 4–8) and an explorer tour (from age 7). Rooms for children's birthday parties and family celebrations. Castle courtyard easily navigable with a stroller.

Getting there & parking

Guests with limited mobility can drive up to the castle gate and park at the castle wall. Hiking trail through the Saale valley to the castle.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Bistro in the visitor center; Burgschänke (up to 150 seats, terrace; in winter only weekends/public holidays). Castle shop. Free Wi-Fi in the visitor center and the restaurants.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 150 guests.

Civil weddings (through the Kahla registry office), church and non-religious weddings in the porcelain church; conference hall in the gatehouse, Burgschänke (up to 150 guests) for celebrations, corporate parties and team events.

Plan your visit