Schloss Lichtenwalde

Current exhibitions

About the museum

On the rocky spur above the Zschopau, a castle already stood around 1220 to 1250, built for Henry the Illustrious, Margrave of Meissen. It later belonged for a long time to the von Harras family; Dietrich von Harras is remembered as the "tollkühner Springer" (daredevil jumper) in a legend and in Theodor Körner's ballad. In 1450 the castle burned down during the Saxon Fratricidal War.

Christoph Heinrich Count von Watzdorf, a minister of Augustus the Strong, had the castle largely demolished from 1722 and the three-winged baroque palace built by 1726; only the palace chapel of the earlier complex was preserved. His son reshaped the Great Garden into a late baroque park from 1730 onward, and its basic structure has remained largely undisturbed to this day. In 1772 Lichtenwalde passed to the Counts Vitzthum von Eckstädt, who owned it until expropriation in 1945.

Today the palace is used as a museum: the state rooms, including the King's Room and the Chinese Room, can be visited on a guided tour; the chapel was reconsecrated in 2008, and the reconstructed Donati organ has sounded again since 2012. Exhibitions are devoted to the history of the house and, in the Schatzkammer Museum, to art and ritual objects from Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan and West Africa.

Highlights

• Baroque park with 335 historic fountains and the water feature "Sieben Künste"
• Schatzkammer Museum with art from Nepal, Tibet, China, Japan and West Africa
• Permanent exhibition "800 Jahre Licht im Walde"
• King's Room, Chinese Room and Green Salon (guided tour only)
• Palace chapel with reconstructed Donati organ
• Tea house from 1730 serving as a belvedere

Permanent exhibitions

• 800 Jahre Licht im Walde – The permanent exhibition shows how a medieval castle became a baroque palace and introduces changing owners such as Knight Dietrich von Harras.
• Schatzkammer-Museum – Art and ritual objects from Nepal and Tibet, porcelain, lacquerwork, furniture and silk embroidery from China and Japan, and sculptures from West Africa.
• Historische Räume im Schloss – The King's Room, Green Salon (former library), Red Salon and Chinese Room can be visited on a guided tour.

Operated by

Augustusburg/Scharfenstein/Lichtenwalde Schlossbetriebe gGmbH (ASL)

Admission & discounts

The day tickets listed apply during the 2026 Pumpkin Festival (August 29 – November 1) and include the STERNTALER experience exhibition and the museums in the palace; on Pumpkin Monday (also on public holidays and during Saxon school holidays) the lowest price applies. The schlösserlandKARTE is no longer accepted.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

The palace park and permanent exhibitions are accessible, as is the small souvenir shop in the ticket area; there is a wheelchair-accessible toilet. In the summer season an elevator takes visitors into the park Tuesday to Sunday (10:00 to 17:15). On Mondays, wheelchair users can reach the park only with a Euro key, which is available at the park ticket desk. At the ticket desk there is a park map with notes on steps and steep slopes. Designated parking spaces are located in front of the palace (P4, about 130 m to the entrance); by arrangement, vehicles may drive up to the palace entrance for drop-off and pick-up. Assistance dogs and guide dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

The STERNTALER experience exhibition, with LEGO scenarios and augmented reality fairy-tale worlds, is aimed at families. During school holidays there are workshops (e.g. soap, gummy candy, chocolate) for children aged 6 to 12; children's birthday parties with a chocolate workshop can be booked for up to 10 children plus 2 accompanying adults (€220 for 2 hours, including refreshments).

Getting there & parking

Navigation address: Schlossallee 1, 09577 Niederwiesa. By car or tour bus via the A4 to the Chemnitz-Ost exit, then follow the signs toward Chemnitz.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Brasserie "La Reine" in the palace courtyard (French-inspired, pastries, coffee), Parkklause in the baroque garden (April to October, closed in bad weather) and palace inn; souvenir shop in the ticket area.

Events & venue rental

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

Available for hire are, among others, the Gräfliche Bibliothek (Count's Library, up to 45 people), the orangery in the park (April to October, until 20:00), the Festsaal Gräfin Vitzthum (hall) with winter garden, the concert ground, the palace chapel and the palace inner courtyard; individual offers on request.

Plan your visit