Is Dankwarderode Castle an original medieval building?

Only a few parts, such as the ground floor arcade and the rear wall with its Romanesque windows, date from the Middle Ages; most of the structure, including the main facade, was rebuilt between 1887 and 1906.

Who built Dankwarderode Castle?

Henry the Lion had it built as his residence around 1160 to 1175, on the site of an earlier fortification of the Brunonid counts.

Why does the current building differ from the medieval one?

After a fire and centuries of decay, the palas was entirely rebuilt in the late 19th century in a neo-Romanesque style loosely based on the original.

Dankwarderode Castle

Innenstadt

Visit

Hours to be confirmed

Book a visit

You are leaving for the château’s own website

See guided tours and skip-the-line tickets tooTickets via our partner GetYourGuide, affiliate link

Where: Innenstadt

Hours and prices not verified at the source yet.Check on the official website

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Burg Warberg (Warberg Castle)Accommodation on site28 km

Burg Dankwarderode stands in Innenstadt (Braunschweig), in Lower Saxony, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 20th century. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Dankwarderode Castle stands on the Burgplatz in Brunswick, on the site where Henry the Lion had his residential palace built between 1160 and 1175. The present building is the result of a reconstruction carried out between 1887 and 1906 by municipal architect Ludwig Winter, based on archaeological excavations that allowed him to largely restore the medieval floor plan, though the well-known facade facing the square is a free neo-Romanesque interpretation. Since 1963, the ground floor, known as the Knappensaal, has housed the medieval collection of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, including the original Brunswick Lion and the imperial mantle of Otto IV. Upstairs, the Rittersaal retains traces of its historicist decoration despite damage suffered during the Second World War.

Written from Dankwarderode Castle

What to know

The visit centres on the medieval collection of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, housed on the ground floor of the building.
The site is listed as a Baudenkmal in Lower Saxony.
The facade seen from the Burgplatz is a 19th to 20th century reconstruction, not original medieval fabric.
No information is given here on opening hours, admission fees or accessibility, so check with the museum beforehand.

Where this château is

Innenstadt · Braunschweig · Niedersachsen

Map of the area around Burg Dankwarderode

Loading the map…

This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Burgpl. 4, 38100 Braunschweig

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

Get directions View on a map

Château phone number

+49 531 12152424

Call

The safest check before setting off: today’s hours, guided-tour availability, where to park.

4.4 / 5from 357 Google reviews

Heritage status: Baudenkmal
Period of construction: 20th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Is Dankwarderode Castle an original medieval building?: Only a few parts, such as the ground floor arcade and the rear wall with its Romanesque windows, date from the Middle Ages; most of the structure, including the main facade, was rebuilt between 1887 and 1906.
What can be seen inside?: The ground floor houses the medieval collection of the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, including the original Brunswick Lion and Otto IV's imperial mantle.
Who built Dankwarderode Castle?: Henry the Lion had it built as his residence around 1160 to 1175, on the site of an earlier fortification of the Brunonid counts.
Why does the current building differ from the medieval one?: After a fire and centuries of decay, the palas was entirely rebuilt in the late 19th century in a neo-Romanesque style loosely based on the original.