Schloss Greifenstein

About the museum

The castle on a ridge above Heiligenstadt in Franconian Switzerland first appears in the records in 1172, when an Eberhard von Greifenstein from the Schlüsselberg family is mentioned. After the Schlüsselbergs died out in 1347, the lords of Streitberg held Greifenstein; during the Peasants' War the castle was destroyed at the beginning of the 16th century and then rebuilt. When the Streitbergs also died out in 1690, the fief reverted to the Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg.

Prince-Bishop Marquard Sebastian Schenk von Stauffenberg received the dilapidated castle in 1691 as a hereditary fief and had Leonhard Dientzenhofer convert it into a Baroque palace by 1693; the well in the inner courtyard, around 92 metres deep, also dates from this period. Since then Greifenstein has remained continuously in the hands of the family, whose Franconian branch still lives in the castle today. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who carried out the assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944, was a frequent guest here; a bronze bust commemorates him.

After the Second World War, Otto Philipp Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and his wife Oculi had the castle thoroughly restored. It can only be seen on guided tours: historic furniture, stucco ceilings and inlaid floors, long corridors full of stag antlers, a large weapons collection ranging from tournament armour, weapons of the Thirty Years' War and hunting rifles to pieces from both world wars, as well as the castle chapel. The family explicitly does not see the house as a museum in the usual sense, but as a lived-in testimony to living history.

Highlights

• Approach along a lime avenue with trees more than 300 years old
• Well around 92 metres deep in the castle courtyard
• Corridors lined with antler trophies, including a 24-pointer
• Large weapons collection from the Middle Ages to the world wars
• Castle chapel and Biedermeier room
• Bronze bust of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg

Permanent exhibition

• Schlossrundgang mit Waffensammlung – Guided tour through the inhabited rooms with stucco ceilings, marquetry floors and historic furniture, along corridors with hunting trophies and to the weapons collection with armour, military and hunting weapons from several centuries.

Operated by

Familie Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Christoph Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg)

Admission & discounts

Admission only with a guided tour; a tour takes place for 4 or more people or for a minimum charge of €28.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• 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 operator, the castle cannot be visited barrier-free. Toilets in the waiting area of the lower castle courtyard.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

According to Bamberg Tourism, children's tours for 6 or more children with a small surprise.

Getting there & parking

Approach from the west via Bamberg, from the south via Ebermannstadt and the Leinleiter valley, from the east via Aufseß; follow the signs.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Kiosk selling postcards, souvenirs, game from the estate's own hunting ground and fine spirits from the castle distillery. The castle inn "Burgklause" is currently closed (a new tenant is being sought).

Events & venue rental

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

The castle park of around 10,000 m² can be hired for family celebrations, company parties, weddings, presentations, concerts or medieval camps. Church weddings and baptisms in the castle chapel; civil weddings in the Biedermeier room via the citizens' office of the market town of Heiligenstadt.

Plan your visit