Schloss Auerstedt mit Kutschenmuseum

About the museum

Schloss Auerstedt, today a district of Bad Sulza, was the headquarters of the Prussian army in the autumn of 1806. This was where the command post was located when French troops under Marshal Davout defeated the Prussians in the twin battle of Jena and Auerstedt. The complex is now part of a resort with a hotel, vacation apartments, and a restaurant; the old stables around the castle have been partly converted into apartments.

Several exhibitions are grouped together under the name Auerstedter Museenwelt. A local history museum inside the castle deals with the events of 1806, with everyday village life, and with Thuringian customs. A memorial commemorates the battle, and an attached Heimatstube (local heritage room) covers agriculture and crafts of the area.

Opposite, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar has presented 17 carriages from the fleet of the dukes and grand dukes of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in converted stables since 2004, built between about 1775 and 1890 in Thuringia, Vienna, Amsterdam, and St. Petersburg. The vehicles originally stood in the ducal stables; after the end of the monarchy, they passed to the State Art Collections founded in 1919 and were on view for decades in the orangery of Belvedere. Among the best-known pieces are the traveling coach in which Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and Hereditary Prince Carl Friedrich traveled from St. Petersburg to Weimar in 1804, state, wedding, and hunting carriages, the children's carriage of the later Grand Duke Carl Alexander, and a running machine (draisine) ordered in 1818 from Karl Drais, the second-oldest known example of its kind.

Highlights

• 17 historic carriages from the fleet of the Weimar princely house (around 1775–1890)
• Maria Pavlovna's traveling coach from 1804
• Karl Drais's running machine from 1818
• Children's carriage of Hereditary Grand Duke Carl Alexander
• Memorial to the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt in the former Prussian headquarters

Permanent exhibitions

• Großherzogliches Kutschenmuseum – State, wedding, hunting, and traveling carriages of the Weimar court from the period around 1775 to 1890, plus an early running machine by Karl Drais.
• Heimatmuseum und Gedenkstätte 1806 – Exhibits on the twin battle of Jena and Auerstedt as well as on village life and customs in Thuringia.

Founded

2004

Operated by

Resort Schloss Auerstedt; Kutschensammlung der Klassik Stiftung Weimar

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

By car via the Naumburg highway exits (then B180/B87), Sömmerda Ost (via Buttstädt), or Apolda/Bad Sulza/Mellingen (then B87). Until about October 23, 2026, the B87 is fully closed between Oberroßla and Umpferstedt; a detour is signposted.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Restaurant Schlossgasthof Auerstedt in the castle; overnight stays possible at Resort Schloss Auerstedt.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Restaurant and rooms on the second floor of the castle for birthdays and family celebrations; historic vaulted rooms and castle terraces for conferences, seminars, and workshops in small groups.

Plan your visit