Museum in a 16th-century fortress complex with town and mining history, as well as the Kunstsammlung Lausitz (Lusatian art collection).
May 23, 2026 – January 3, 2027
The exhibition shows how people rested in the past and today, with everyday objects such as chamber pots, alarm clocks and bedside lamps, and glimpses into bedrooms from different eras.
Special exhibition
Opening in November 2026. Using GDR magazines, the exhibition shows living, do-it-yourself, music, fashion and youth culture, and the gap between the promises made in the magazines and everyday life.
The palace and fortress complex in Senftenberg was built in the 16th century on the foundations of a medieval castle. It was meant to secure the border of the Electorate of Saxony against Brandenburg. Today it is regarded as the only fortress in Germany still surrounded by such a massive earthen rampart; on the fortress walk, visitors can explore the powder tower, bastions and fortress gate.
For more than a hundred years the palace has housed a museum. The permanent exhibitions tell the story of the fortress, the everyday life of a Lusatian small town from the "Ackerbürger" to the "Staatsbürger", and the region's transformation from a mining landscape into a lake district. A historic classroom shows lessons around 1920.
Since 2009 the palace has also been home to the permanent exhibition of the Kunstsammlung Lausitz. The collection has been built up since the mid-1980s and comprises more than 2,500 works by more than 130 artists with ties to Lusatia. The palace is run by the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district.
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6.50people with disabilities, students, pupils, trainees, volunteers, and recipients of social benefits such as Bürgergeld, Grundsicherung, Wohngeld (housing benefit) or BAföG |
| Children & teens | €6.50free up to age 13 · Children and young people up to age 14 free; from age 14, young people pay €6.50. |
| Seniors | €7Pensioners |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6.50 |
| Students & apprentices | €6.50 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €6.50 per personper person |
| Guest card | €7.50 |
| Annual pass for adults | €20reduced €15; personal, valid for one year |
| Combined ticket for 4 sites | €21Lehde Open-Air Museum, Spreewald Museum Lübbenau, Schloss und Festung Senftenberg and the Brieske Colliery and Bathhouse; valid for one month from the first visit |
The admission prices apply to all museums of the district (as of January 1, 2026). Admission also includes the Kunstsammlung Lausitz in the palace.
Exhibition rooms in the palace and the art collection are accessible to wheelchair users and people with limited mobility; elevator to the art collection, accessible toilet on the first floor. Checked as part of the "Brandenburg Barrierefrei" project. Guided tours can be adapted to be low-barrier on request.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 13 |
|---|
Hands-on stations, museum figures as companions through the exhibition, a treasure map (€1, from age 6) and a museum game for families (€2.50, from age 6). Children's birthday parties in the birthday room: €120 on weekdays, €150 on weekends and public holidays (up to 12 children, 2 hours). Award "Familienfreundlich im Lausitzer Seenland" (family-friendly in the Lusatian Lake District).
Parking available · 500 m to the entrance
Parking at Dubinaweg (city harbor); from there, walk through the palace park to the fortress.
The administration's access address is Dubinaweg 1, 01968 Senftenberg.
Get directionsThe museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Up to 500 guests.
Palace hall (wedding venue, up to 90 guests; conferences up to 100 people), Commandant's House (up to 30 guests), palace courtyard, powder tower and fortress grounds (up to 500 people) for celebrations, champagne receptions and conferences.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Group tours €50 plus admission (up to 25 people); experience tours, workshops and holiday programmes according to the events calendar. Free admission for bus drivers and tour guides. |
