Landgrafenschloss Wanfried

Schloss Wanfried stands in the small town of Wanfried in North Hesse, on the edge of the Werra-Meißner district. The building was once a residence of the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Wanfried. Its four-sided layout is surrounded on three sides by a small park with ancient trees. The castle’s history stretches back to a royal estate given by Emperor Henry II in 1015. By the 13th century it had become a water fortress guarding a key trade route. Landgrave Philipp I expanded it in 1534, and his son Wilhelm IV enlarged it again in 1589. The Thirty Years’ War destroyed much of the town and castle in 1626, but rebuilding began in 1645. Later it served as a residence for Landgrave Karl of Hessen-Wanfried and his successors until the mid-18th century. Today the main building is a two-storey stone structure with a half-timbered upper floor, dating from the 16th century. The northern courtyard is flanked by former stables and farm buildings on the west side. The southern wing once housed the grand apartments, a knights’ hall and a chapel dedicated to the Five Holy Wounds. The northern wing contained the official rooms of the local administrator. A surviving lime tree by the old moat marks the northern end of the site.