Can you still visit Hildburghausen Castle?

No, the building was destroyed in 1945 and demolished in the following years; only the park where the castle once stood remains open to the public.

What remains of the castle today?

A shopping centre now stands on the former building's site, while the surrounding park has survived as a landscape garden.

Why was the castle destroyed?

It was hit by American artillery on 7 April 1945 and burned almost completely, with the ruins demolished between 1947 and 1950.

Who built this castle?

Duke Ernest of Saxe-Hildburghausen laid the foundation stone in 1685, and it served as his dynasty's residence until 1826.

Is the castle park open to the public?

Yes, it has been accessible since it was returned to the town and opened to the public in 1890.

Hildburghausen Castle

Hildburghausen

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Hildburghausen

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Heldburg FortressApril to October; November, December and March; January and February15 km

Sleep nearby

Schloss Hildburghausen stands in Hildburghausen (Landkreis Hildburghausen), in Thuringia, Germany. No visits are on record for this building.

Hildburghausen Castle survives today only as memory and parkland: this residence of the dukes of Saxe-Hildburghausen, built at the end of the 17th century on the model of Versailles, was set ablaze by American artillery fire in April 1945 and its ruins demolished by the end of the 1940s. What now occupies the former building's site is a shopping centre, while the surrounding park has kept the shape of an English landscape garden laid out around 1800. Visitors therefore come less for a castle than for the story of a lost place and for the park that still bears its trace, including the 1811 monument to Duchess Louise.

Written from Hildburghausen Castle

What to know

The castle building itself no longer exists: destroyed in 1945 and later demolished, its site is now occupied by a shopping centre.
There is nothing of the castle building left to visit, only its historical trace on the site.
The surrounding park, converted into an English landscape garden around the turn of the 19th century, remains open and is suited to a walk.
The monument to Duchess Louise, erected in 1811, stands at the centre of the park.
The three bridges giving access to the park were renovated between 1990 and 1993.

Where this château is

Hildburghausen · Landkreis Hildburghausen · Thüringen

Map of the area around Schloss Hildburghausen

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Hildburghausen, Landkreis Hildburghausen

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

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Heritage status: Protection status unknown

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you still visit Hildburghausen Castle?: No, the building was destroyed in 1945 and demolished in the following years; only the park where the castle once stood remains open to the public.
What remains of the castle today?: A shopping centre now stands on the former building's site, while the surrounding park has survived as a landscape garden.
Why was the castle destroyed?: It was hit by American artillery on 7 April 1945 and burned almost completely, with the ruins demolished between 1947 and 1950.
Who built this castle?: Duke Ernest of Saxe-Hildburghausen laid the foundation stone in 1685, and it served as his dynasty's residence until 1826.
Is the castle park open to the public?: Yes, it has been accessible since it was returned to the town and opened to the public in 1890.