Schloss Freienfels

Schloss Freienfels stands beside the river Wiesent in the village of Freienfels, part of Hollfeld in Upper Franconia. Built on free ground and free rock, it was once answerable only to emperor and empire. The present building replaces a medieval castle raised by the Aufseß family in the early 14th century and first recorded in 1342. The site is worth reaching for its fine baroque interiors. Between 1693 and 1701 the Aufseß heir Carl Siegmund von Aufseß replaced the ruins with a new palace, decorated by the Bamberg court stucco artist Franz Jacob Vogel. The former chapel now serves as the village church and still shows Vogel’s work and the Aufseß coat of arms. Visitors walk through rooms with elaborate stucco ceilings and carved doorways. Outside, the park that once belonged to the castle has grown wild, but the stone shell of the baroque palace remains. Views across the Wiesent valley open from the terraces and the high walls that once enclosed the gardens.