Can you visit the inside of Laufen Castle?

No, the building houses apartments, shops and two restaurants, and there is no organised museum tour.

What is the origin of Laufen Castle?

A castellum was already mentioned at the time of Bishop Virgilius of Salzburg, possibly on Roman remains, and Emperor Barbarossa held court there in 1166.

Who gave the castle its present form?

The main rebuilding took place between 1591 and 1612 under Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, carried out by Johann Baptist Ninnguarda and then Egon Riedl.

What role did the castle play during World War II?

It served as the prisoner-of-war camp Oflag VII-C for Polish and later British officers, before becoming an internment camp in 1942 for people deported from the Channel Islands.

Is Laufen Castle a protected monument?

It is listed as a Baudenkmal in Bavaria.

Laufen Castle

Laufen

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Laufen

Schloss Laufen stands in Laufen (Landkreis Berchtesgadener Land), in Bavaria, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. No visits are on record for this building.

Laufen Castle rises above the Salzach river in Laufen, in the Landkreis Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria. Built for the prince-archbishops of Salzburg on a site already fortified in Roman times, it took its present form between the late 16th and early 17th centuries, with later alterations. Used in turn as a prison in the 19th century, then as a barracks, a prisoner-of-war camp and a care home in the 20th century, the building today houses apartments, businesses and two restaurants. Visitors come mainly for its imposing four-sided structure around a central courtyard and for its layered history rather than for a formal museum visit.

Written from Laufen Castle (Germany)

What to know

Laufen Castle is a privately used building combining apartments, shops and two restaurants, with no organised museum visit.
Interest lies mainly in the exterior architecture, the inner courtyard and the setting above the Salzach river.
The site served as a prison, barracks, prisoner-of-war camp and care home before its conversion between 1970 and 1992.
The castle is listed as a Baudenkmal in Bavaria.
No opening hours or admission fees are given, as the building is not run as a conventional visitor attraction.

Where this château is

Laufen · Landkreis Berchtesgadener Land · Bayern

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Laufen, Landkreis Berchtesgadener Land

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

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Heritage status: Baudenkmal in Bayern

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the inside of Laufen Castle?: No, the building houses apartments, shops and two restaurants, and there is no organised museum tour.
What is the origin of Laufen Castle?: A castellum was already mentioned at the time of Bishop Virgilius of Salzburg, possibly on Roman remains, and Emperor Barbarossa held court there in 1166.
Who gave the castle its present form?: The main rebuilding took place between 1591 and 1612 under Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, carried out by Johann Baptist Ninnguarda and then Egon Riedl.
What role did the castle play during World War II?: It served as the prisoner-of-war camp Oflag VII-C for Polish and later British officers, before becoming an internment camp in 1942 for people deported from the Channel Islands.
Is Laufen Castle a protected monument?: It is listed as a Baudenkmal in Bavaria.