Schloss Fahrenbach

Schloss Fahrenbach stands in the village of Fahrenbach, part of the municipality of Tröstau in the Fichtelgebirge mountains of Upper Franconia. The first fortified structure on the site was built in the 14th century for the Lords of Hirschberg. In 1475 the Margrave Albrecht Achilles granted the estate to Hans and Gilg Leubel, who erected a knight’s seat to guard the Wurmloh pass near the border with the Electoral Palatinate. The estate passed through many noble families, including the Herdegen, Wildenstein, Borcke and Carl von Stein. By the late 15th century the knight’s seat controlled villages such as Reichenbach and Nagel. A fire in 1986 destroyed most of the buildings, but the site was rebuilt and reopened in 1993 as a golf hotel. Visitors today find a modern hotel set within the grounds of the former castle. The building is not protected as a monument, yet its long history is still visible in the layout of the estate. The surrounding Fichtelgebirge offers walking trails and views across the rolling hills of Upper Franconia.