Schloss Karlstein

Schloss Karlstein stands in the village of Karlstein, part of Regenstauf in the Upper Palatinate. The present building covers the remains of a medieval castle first recorded as Chadolthstein. The Hofer von Lobenstein family owned it before the Lords of Leuchtenberg took over in the late 14th century and rebuilt the fortress. Swedish troops under General Craz sacked the castle in 1632 during the Thirty Years War. Over the centuries the estate passed through several noble families until the Drechsel line acquired it in 1802. The Drechsel family enlarged and remodelled the castle after 1900, giving it its current neo-Gothic shape. Four wings enclose a park, and the south wing houses the castle chapel of St Ulrich. Weekly Catholic services are held there, and the vaults contain the graves of former residents such as the Teuffel von Pirkensee and Hornbeck families. The chapel’s interior preserves fine fittings from the 19th century. Visitors walk around the exterior of the privately owned Schloss Karlstein. The chapel’s interior can be viewed when services are not taking place. The surrounding park offers views across the valley towards Regenstauf. The castle’s history is visible in the mix of medieval foundations and later stonework. It remains a family home, so only the grounds and the chapel are open to the public.