Former hunting lodge of the Schwarzburg princes beside the Romanesque monastery ruin, with a museum on monastery, forestry, and hunting history.
March 21, 2026 – October 31, 2026
Seasonal exhibition in the Amtshaus on the 110th birthday of the Paulinzella author Kurt Bachor. It follows his hikes and nature observations and invites visitors to see the forest through his eyes.
The Paulinzella monastery was founded between 1102 and 1105 by the noblewoman Paulina; its church counts among the important Romanesque buildings in Germany. After the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved in 1524 and fell into the ruin that still stands today. The lands passed to the counts of Schwarzburg, from which the Amt (administrative district) and Vorwerk (manor farm) of Paulinzella emerged.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the two-story hunting lodge with two cross gables was built, presumably incorporating older monastery buildings; the side wings were demolished in 1794 because of structural decay. Prince Günther Viktor had the entrance portal added in 1894 in the neo-Renaissance style. In the 20th century the building served, among other things, as an SA recreation home; after the Second World War, for around three decades, it was a children's home, and afterward a station for young naturalists and tourists.
In 1994 the monastery grounds went to the Stiftung Thüringer Schlösser und Gärten (Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation). After extensive renovation, the museum for monastery, forestry, and hunting history, set up by the Thüringer Landesmuseum Heidecksburg, opened in 2002 on the second floor. On the third floor, ThüringenForst presents the exhibition "Vom Steinbeil bis zur Motorsäge"; further exhibition areas are in the renovated Amtshaus.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Pupils, students up to age 27, holders of a Sozialpass (social pass), and persons with a Schwerbehindertenausweis (severe disability ID) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 14 |
| Groups | –Guide fee for groups: €20. |
| Combined ticket "Kloster Paulinzella" (museum, "Vom Steinbeil bis zur Motorsäge", Amtshaus, and special exhibition) | €6 |
| Combined ticket "Schwarzburger Schlösser" (Heidecksburg incl. Rococo en miniature, Jagdschloss Paulinzella, Schloss Schwarzburg) | €18 |
| Combined ticket "Museumsverbund" (plus Fröbel-Museum Bad Blankenburg) | €22 |
Thüringer Wald Card: 25% discount on the adult price; All-Inclusive card: one free admission; Weimar Card Plus, 96 hours: free admission (without the Amtshaus). Cash only.
The exhibitions on the second and third floors of the hunting lodge cannot be reached without steps (no elevator). The shop and tourist information on the first floor are reached via a few steps; low-threshold restrooms are in the entrance area. The Amtshaus can be reached by a platform lift when needed. Marked parking spaces are directly opposite the hunting lodge.
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 14 |
|---|
Holiday camps and the annual Thüringer Schlösserkindertag (Thuringian Palaces Children's Day) on September 20; education programs for primary schools, secondary schools (Regelschule), and grammar schools (Gymnasium).
Parking available
Marked parking spaces for persons with a severe disability ID directly opposite the hunting lodge; further parking in the village of Paulinzella.
Navigation address: Paulinzella 3, 07426 Königsee. The monastery is the endpoint of a 51.5 km pilgrimage route from Erfurt.
Get directionsMuseum shop with tourist information and coffee service on the first floor of the hunting lodge.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the monastery complex (about 45–60 minutes) by registration by phone or email. For school classes there are curriculum-based tours and, together with ThüringenForst, project days on forest education. |
