Schloss Reinach

Schloss Reinach stands at the foot of the Tuniberg hill, in Munzingen, the southernmost district of Freiburg in south-western Germany. The present building began as a farmhouse beside the remains of a water castle partly destroyed in the Thirty Years’ War. Only a round tower from that earlier castle still survives today. The first written record of Reinach, in the 17th century, marks the marriage of Hans Adam von Pforr and Maria Cleopha von Reinach, who later gave a carved font to St Stephanskirche in Munzingen bearing both families’ coats of arms. After her second marriage, Maria Cleopha left her entire fortune to her nephew Beat Melchior von Reinach. The estate passed to the von Kageneck family around 1750, and their 250-year ownership shaped many of the present buildings. Used mainly for farming, the farmhouse was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1870 and rebuilt soon afterwards. By 1969 it was still one of the largest farms in the region, but in 1991 the whole site was restored and opened in 1993 as a hotel, restaurant and conference centre. Financial troubles led to three years under insolvency administration before the Gessler couple took over in 2007, modernising and expanding the facilities. Visitors now find a hotel and several restaurants on the grounds, including the Michelin-starred Herrehus, which held its star from 2014 until the owners changed the dining concept in 2019. Golfers use the nearby course on the Tuniberg, and the estate hosts cultural events throughout the year. The surviving round tower and the farmhouse’s rebuilt wings give a clear sense of the site’s layered history. Beyond the buildings, views extend across the vineyards and gentle slopes of the Tuniberg.