Schloss Rochlitz

About the museum

Schloss Rochlitz rises above the Zwickauer Mulde river and looks back on more than 1,000 years of history. The complex was probably built around the middle of the 10th century as an imperial castle (Reichsburg) in the castle system of the Mark Meissen, and was first mentioned in a charter in 1009. With the transfer to the Wettins in the 12th century, it began to rise in importance: in the late 14th century, Margrave Wilhelm I expanded the castle into a permanent residence; later it served Wettin women as a widow's seat.

Duchess Elisabeth of Rochlitz holds special significance; she lived here between 1537 and 1547 and, in the Amt Rochlitz (Rochlitz district), introduced the Reformation against the resistance of her father-in-law. In the late 16th century, Elector Christian I and his wife Sophie used the castle as a hunting seat. In the 19th century it was converted for court and archive use, and until reunification it housed an archive, a court and a prison; during the GDR era, a district music school and a children's day-care center used rooms here.

As early as 1892, a local history researcher suggested using the palace chapel as a museum room. After the Free State of Saxony took over the castle in 1995, it was comprehensively renovated until 2012. Today visitors can see residential and state rooms, the south wing and a permanent exhibition on three formative Wettin rulers.

Highlights

• Late Gothic palace chapel
• Banquet hall (Tafelsaal) in the Fürstenhaus
• Large court kitchen (Schwarzküche)
• Scratched plaster drawings (sgraffiti) by young Wettin princes
• Virtual reality tour of the captain's room (Hauptmannsstube)
• Exhibition on Elisabeth of Rochlitz and the Reformation

Permanent exhibitions

• Fett, Einäugig, Revolutionär – Drei Wettiner für tausend Geschichten – Permanent exhibition on the three Wettin rulers Dedo the Fat, Wilhelm the One-Eyed and Duchess Elisabeth, who shaped the castle's history; with living quarters, the captain's room and a VR headset.
• Geheimnisvolle Putzritzzeichnungen – Doodles by young Wettin princes, hidden under plaster for over 500 years and discovered during restoration work.
• Elisabeth von Rochlitz – Die unbekannte Heldin der Reformation – Insights into the duchess's life, her secret letters and the role of women in the Reformation.

Operated by

Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH (Schlösserland Sachsen)

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the schlösserlandKARTE; companions of people with severe disabilities who hold the “B” marker enter free. Discounts under the Landesfamilienpass (state family pass) do not apply to events, special exhibitions and tours. Special opening during the winter holidays 2027: €10, reduced €8, children aged 6–16 €3, family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) €22. Tickets are sold at the museum desk, cash or card.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Due to the building's structure, the castle is not fully wheelchair-accessible. An elevator serves the banquet hall in the Fürstenhaus; the porphyry exhibition and the museum shop are reached via a ramp, and the Fürstenhaus cellar has a separate entrance. Staff open the elevator, ramp and cellar access on request. Three accessible parking spaces are at the upper castle gate; the paving is uneven, and wheelchairs and rollators can only be used in the museum shop, the porphyry exhibition and the banquet hall. Tours in German Sign Language, for blind and visually impaired visitors, for people with intellectual disabilities and for people with limited mobility are available on request (Tel. +49 3737 492310). Assistance dogs are permitted with written proof.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Certified as a family-friendly palace by the Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen since 2024. Holiday programs, time-travel tours and experience tours for children; children's birthday parties (ages 5–12, approx. 1.5 hours) can be booked from February to December. Please leave strollers in the entrance area (not in the exhibition rooms); baby changing table in the public toilet (key at the ticket desk); no separate nursing room.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A4 (exit Chemnitz-Ost, then B107), the A14 (exit Döbeln-Nord, then B169/B175) or the A72 (exit Rochlitz, then B175). Sat-nav address: Sörnziger Weg 1, 09306 Rochlitz.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

“BlümchenCafé” in the lower castle area (Tue–Fri 11:00–17:00, Sat, Sun and public holidays 11:00–18:00; also accessible for guests with limited mobility); museum shop; free lockers in the entrance area.

Events & venue rental

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

Up to 200 guests.

Banquet hall (Tafelsaal; 140 banquet / 200 theater-style seats), palace cellar (60/80 seats) and Fürstenstube (60 theater-style seats) for conferences, celebrations and concerts; weddings can be held in the palace.

Plan your visit