Schloss Glücksburg
White Renaissance moated castle near Flensburg, ancestral seat of the House of Glücksburg, from which several European royal houses descend.
About the museum
The castle stands on the site of the Rüdekloster, a Cistercian monastery founded around 1210 and dissolved after the Reformation. From 1582 to 1587, Duke John the Younger of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg had the master builder Nikolaus Karies erect a new building here. Springs and streams were dammed to create the castle lake (Schlosssee), so that the white building with its four octagonal corner towers rises directly out of the water.
From 1622, the elder line of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg resided here. After the last duke died childless, the castle passed to the Danish crown in 1779. In 1825, King Frederick VI gave it to Duke Friedrich Wilhelm, founder of the younger Glücksburg line. His son ascended the Danish throne in 1863 as Christian IX; because his children married into royal houses from Great Britain to Russia and Greece, he is known as the “father-in-law of Europe”.
In 1922, the family placed the castle in a foundation, which still owns it today. After World War II, the castle and museum reopened at Pentecost 1948. Prince Christoph of Schleswig-Holstein (1949–2023) made the castle one of the region's cultural attractions over decades; since 2023, Prince Friedrich Ferdinand has continued this work.
Highlights include the Red Hall (Roter Saal), the White Hall (Weißer Saal) with tapestries from 1740 and the castle chapel with a 17th-century pulpit altar, plus exhibitions on Christian IX and the servants, and an armory. Concerts, weddings and festivities bring the castle to life all year round.
Highlights
- Moated castle with four octagonal corner towers in the middle of the castle lake
- White Hall with tapestries from 1740
- Red Hall spanning the entire central building
- Castle chapel with 17th-century pulpit altar and baptismal font, and a Marcussen organ from 1847
- Exhibitions “Christian IX.”, “Kaiserinausstellung”, “Kaisertafel”, “Dienerschaft” and “Waffenkammer”
- Free audio guide app in German, Danish and English, also in a children's version
- Operated by
- Stiftung Schloss Glücksburg
- Director
- Susanne Ascheron
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €12.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7.50Trainees, university students, people with disabilities (degree of disability/GdB 50 or more) |
| Children & teens | €3.50free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 17. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount; seniors pay the adult price. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €7.50companion free · Reduced price with a degree of disability of 50 or more; companion free. |
| Students & apprentices | €7.50 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €7.50 per personAdult groups of 10 or more €7.50 per person; children's groups of 10 or more €3.50 per child, two accompanying adults free. |
| Families | –No family ticket listed. |
Guided tours from €59 (German) or €69 (other languages) plus admission, themed and experience tours €15.50–39, €15 surcharge outside opening hours. Children's tours in July and August on Mondays at 11:00 (€7.50 per child). Audio guide free. Online tickets with a €1 advance booking fee, valid for one year.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- 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
The ground floor is wheelchair-accessible and has an accessible restroom. The upper floors can only be reached via spiral staircases, and there are steps to the chapel (alternative program available). Two free accessible parking spaces.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Kids’ birthday parties
Children's tour “Ein Schloss für Kids” (ages 6 and up, approx. 60 min., on Mondays in July and August), fairy-tale tours in costume for children's groups (approx. 120 min.), children's birthday parties for ages 6 to 12 and a Christmas elves' workshop during Advent; audio guide app with a children's version. The upper floors can only be reached via spiral staircases.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bus line 21 from Flensburg ZOB (central bus station; approx. 20 minutes) to Glücksburg, stop Schloß.
By car
Paid parking
Paid parking lot with a view of the castle (€3.50 for 3 hours, payment via the EasyPark app or by card at the machine); free parking on surrounding streets a short walk away. Two accessible parking spaces right at the castle.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
Schloss Café in the castle courtyard with a terrace, Restaurant Schlosskeller in historic vaults; Café am Schloss a few minutes' walk away. Two vacation apartments on the castle island. Dogs are not allowed in the castle.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 300 guests.
White Hall (up to 300 people), Red Hall (up to 120), Orangery (60 inside, 150 outside), Historic Dining Room (30), Remise (carriage house) and Historic Stables (40 each), plus the castle courtyard and park for large events. Civil weddings in the Tower Room (up to 30 guests), church weddings in the castle chapel.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (DE, DA, EN) |
