Who built Pottenstein Castle?

It was built between 1057 and 1070 by Count Boto, a member of the Aribonid family.

Did Pottenstein Castle belong to a bishopric?

Yes, before 1104 it passed under the authority of the Bishopric of Bamberg, which used it as an administrative seat into the 14th century and beyond.

Can the interior of Pottenstein Castle be visited?

Yes, a castle museum is housed there and can be visited for an entrance fee.

Where is Pottenstein Castle located?

It stands in Pottenstein, in the Landkreis Bayreuth, Bavaria, in the heart of Franconian Switzerland.

Was Pottenstein Castle ever destroyed?

It was bombarded and damaged in 1553 during the Second Margrave War, but it survived the Peasants' War undamaged and withstood a failed raid in 1634.

Pottenstein Castle

Pottenstein

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Tickets and prices

Adult: €7.50
Child: €3
Reduced: €6.50

Prices and tickets on the château’s website

Prices checked at the source on September 21, 2026

Where: Pottenstein

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Burg Pottenstein stands in Pottenstein (Landkreis Bayreuth), in Bavaria, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 11th century. Adult admission costs 7.5 EUR. Its opening hours and prices were verified at the source on September 21, 2026.

Pottenstein Castle stands on a rocky spur above the town that bears its name, in the heart of Franconian Switzerland. Built between 1057 and 1070 by Count Boto, it passed in the early 12th century under the authority of the Bishopric of Bamberg, which made it the seat of a territorial administration for several centuries. It now houses a museum devoted to its history, on a site also recognised as a geotope by the Bavarian environmental office.

Written from Pottenstein Castle

What to know

The castle and its museum can be visited for an entrance fee whose amount is not specified here.
Access involves a climb from the town of Pottenstein up to the rocky spur.
It is listed as a Baudenkmal in Bavaria.
The site lies within the Franconian Switzerland nature park, about 22 kilometres southwest of Bayreuth.
Precise opening hours and prices are not given in the available information.

Practical information

Opening hours

Karfreitag 03. April bis Ostermontag 06. April, Sa/So 11./12. + 18./19. + 25./26. April: 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
Mai Donnerstag bis Sonntag (+ Pfingstmontag 25. Mai): 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
Juni Donnerstag bis Sonntag: 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
Juli + August Mittwoch bis Sonntag: 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
September Donnerstag bis Sonntag: 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
Oktober bis 25.10. Donnerstag bis Sonntag: 11:00-17:00 (Einlass bis 16:30)
Saisonende 25. Oktober, anschließend Winterpause bis Ostern 2027

Annual closures : Winter break from end of October to Easter

Prices

Adult: €7.50
Child: €3
Reduced: €6.50

Visit duration: Not verified
Wheelchair access: Not verified
Dogs: Allowed on a lead
Parking: Not verified

On site

Gift shop
Accommodation

Where this château is

Pottenstein · Landkreis Bayreuth · Bayern

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Burgstraße 13, 91278 Pottenstein

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

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Château phone number

+49 9243 7221

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

4.2 / 5from 1,585 Google reviews

Heritage status: Baudenkmal in Bayern
Period of construction: 11th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Pottenstein Castle: how much is admission?: Adult admission is €7.50. Child: €3. Reduced: €6.50.
Who built Pottenstein Castle?: It was built between 1057 and 1070 by Count Boto, a member of the Aribonid family.
Did Pottenstein Castle belong to a bishopric?: Yes, before 1104 it passed under the authority of the Bishopric of Bamberg, which used it as an administrative seat into the 14th century and beyond.
Can the interior of Pottenstein Castle be visited?: Yes, a castle museum is housed there and can be visited for an entrance fee.
Where is Pottenstein Castle located?: It stands in Pottenstein, in the Landkreis Bayreuth, Bavaria, in the heart of Franconian Switzerland.
Was Pottenstein Castle ever destroyed?: It was bombarded and damaged in 1553 during the Second Margrave War, but it survived the Peasants' War undamaged and withstood a failed raid in 1634.

Information verified on September 21, 2026 · Hours and prices: see the official website