Fairy-tale castle in the Harz mountains above Wernigerode with around 50 originally furnished rooms – a museum of 19th-century art and culture.
May 6, 2026 – November 1, 2026
Francisco de Goya's socially critical etching series “Los Caprichos” meets Salvador Dalí's surrealist reinterpretation from the 1970s. The juxtaposition reveals an artistic dialogue spanning two centuries.
The complex dates back to an early 12th-century castle high above Wernigerode that protected the emperors' travel routes through the Harz. It was extended in Gothic style in the late Middle Ages and converted into a fortress in the 16th century. After heavy damage in the Thirty Years' War, Count Ernst zu Stolberg-Wernigerode had it remodeled into a Baroque residential palace from 1671 onward.
The castle took on its present appearance between 1862 and 1885: Count Otto zu Stolberg-Wernigerode, who made a career in Prussia and at times served as Bismarck's deputy, commissioned the architect Carl Frühling with an extensive reconstruction. The result was a major work of northern German historicism, with a lively roofscape, the Festsaal (banquet hall) and the palace church designed by Friedrich von Schmidt.
In 1929 the family gave up the castle as its permanent residence; in April 1930 it was partly opened to visitors, who came by the tens of thousands every year until 1943. After expropriation in 1945, the town set up a so-called Feudalmuseum (museum of feudalism) in 1946.
Since 1998 the museum has defined itself as a center for the art and cultural history of the 19th century. Schloß Wernigerode GmbH presents around 50 rooms with the princely family's original furniture, along with changing special exhibitions, guided tours and events; the surrounding gardens are listed as historic monuments. With 236,000 visitors, 2023 was the castle's busiest year up to that point.
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €8University students and apprentices; people with severe disabilities (“B” marker) |
| Children & teens | €4.50free up to age 5 · Children aged 6 to 14. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €8companion free · With “B” marker €8, one companion free. |
| Students & apprentices | €8 |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of 10 or more must book guided tours at least 14 days in advance: €14 (reduced €13, children €9.50) per person including admission, or a minimum price of €140–170. |
| Families | €23Parents with their own children up to age 14. |
Guided tours including admission: classic tour and tower and vault tour €14 (reduced €13, children 6–14 €9.50), evening and flashlight tour €17, costumed tour with a surcharge; tours in English, Russian or French €2 extra. Fairy-tale hour and children's birthday parties €60 per hour. Tour tickets online only.
Because of its long building history, not fully accessible; visitors with reduced mobility must register in advance (tel. +49 3943 553030). From the entrance to the castle grounds, a footpath with gradients of up to 23% leads up to the castle; access by car only in exceptional cases by arrangement. Accessible restroom for registered guests. Occasional guided tours for blind and visually impaired people. Additional restrictions in 2026 due to construction work.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €23 · Parents with their own children up to age 14. |
Children's tours “Besuch beim Schloßgespenst” (Visiting the castle ghost; ages 4–8) and “Schule der magischen Tiere” (elementary school age), about 45 min. each; fairy-tale hour in the fireplace room and children's birthday parties (ages 4–8, up to 15 children). An app based on “Die Schule der magischen Tiere” leads through the old town up to the castle in about 70 minutes. Steep approach and stairs: according to the castle, restrictions with strollers are unavoidable.
Schloßbahn/Bimmelbahn, Halt unterhalb des Schlosses
From Wernigerode station (DB and Harzer Schmalspurbahnen narrow-gauge railway), about a 5-min. walk to the “Altstadt/Schloss” parking lot, then take the Schloßbahn (which also departs from the Alte Kapelle and Breite Straße) or walk about 20 min.; the Bimmelbahn tourist train starts at the Blumenuhr (flower clock). Both trains stop below the castle; the final climb has gradients of up to 23%.
Parking available · 20-min walk to the entrance
Visitor parking lot “Altstadt/Schloss” in town, also for coaches (with public restrooms). No parking at the castle itself; vehicle access with special permit only.
A36, exit Wernigerode-Zentrum, then follow the signs to the “Altstadt/Schloss” parking lot.
Get directionsSchloßCafé with cakes and coffee specialties in the former laundry of Princess Anna; museum shop.
Civil wedding ceremonies in the Rauchsalon (smoking salon; up to 12 guests, €200 plus VAT) and in the Historische Halle (Historic Hall; up to 30 guests, €350 plus VAT); church weddings in the palace church; receptions in the castle afterward by arrangement, catering through external providers.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photography and filming prohibited throughout the museum area; allowed only in the inner courtyard. |
| Good to know | Classic castle tour about 60 minutes; other formats: tower and vault tour about 45 min., costumed tour and evening tour about 60 min. each, flashlight tour 30–45 min. (outside opening hours). |
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