Schloss Johannisburg

Current exhibitions

About the museum

A castle of the archbishops of Mainz stood on the bank of the Main as early as the 13th century; it was largely destroyed in the Second Margrave War in 1552. In its place, Prince-Archbishop Johann Schweikard von Kronberg had a massive four-wing complex with corner towers built between 1605 and 1614 to plans by the Strasbourg master builder Georg Ridinger; only the keep of the earlier castle survived. The palace is considered one of the most important buildings of the German Late Renaissance.

When French troops occupied Mainz in 1792, Aschaffenburg briefly became the electors' main residence. At the end of the 18th century, Emanuel Joseph von Herigoyen remodeled the interior in the Neoclassical style. After secularization, the town passed to Bavaria in 1814, and Crown Prince Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, used the palace as a summer residence.

The interiors were first used as a museum in 1932. After heavy damage in World War II, the show rooms reopened in 1964; in 1972 the Schlossmuseum of the city of Aschaffenburg moved in as well. Following the restoration of the Main wing (2016–2023), a joint tour route leads through the Staatsgalerie (state gallery) with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder, the vestment chamber with robes from the Mainz cathedral treasury, the palace chapel with Hans Juncker's alabaster altar, the princely apartments and the world's largest collection of cork models of ancient Roman buildings. The municipal museum presents local history, decorative arts, and painting and sculpture from six centuries.

Highlights

• World's largest collection of cork models of ancient Roman buildings
• Staatsgalerie with paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder
• Palace chapel with alabaster altar by Hans Juncker and a light and sound installation
• Vestment chamber with ornate robes from the Mainz cathedral treasury
• Princely apartments with Neoclassical furnishings
• Municipal Schlossmuseum with works related to Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

Permanent exhibitions

• Rom über die Alpen tragen – Korkmodelle – 45 meticulously detailed cork models of ancient Roman buildings such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon, made between 1792 and 1854 by Carl and Georg May.
• Staatsgalerie Aschaffenburg – Branch museum of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder and his workshop.
• Schlossmuseum der Stadt Aschaffenburg – Local history, decorative arts, painting and sculpture from six centuries, as well as contemporary art from Aschaffenburg.

Founded

1932

Operated by

Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung (mit Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen und Museen der Stadt Aschaffenburg)

Admission & discounts

No card payment at the ticket desk. Annual passes and multi-day tickets of the Bavarian Palace Administration are valid. Reduced admission also with the RheinMainCard and for rail travelers (cooperation between the municipal museums and DB Regio).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

According to the Museen der Stadt Aschaffenburg, fully accessible via elevators or ramps, with an accessible restroom. 2 accessible parking spaces on Schlossplatz, 8 in the Stadthalle underground parking.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Family tours by the Palace Administration on selected dates, mainly in summer (e.g., "Schlossgespenst Thekla erzählt Geschichten" – Thekla the palace ghost tells stories, approx. 90 min.); discovery worksheets to download.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

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

Up to 2,400 guests.

Ridingersaal (up to 199 people), Turmzimmer (tower room, up to 70), Treppenhalle (stair hall, standing reception for up to 120), palace chapel (church services, Catholic weddings, concerts for up to 112), palace courtyard (up to 2,400 people).

Plan your visit