Schloss

Schloss Reichenberg stands east of the village of Reichenberg in Lower Franconia. The medieval stronghold was begun in the early 13th century by the Lords of Reichenberg on fortified ground. First recorded in 1271, it passed through the hands of the Seinsheim and Hohenlohe families before Ritter Eberhard von Wolfskeel bought it in 1376 as a feudal seat. The Wolfskeel von Reichenberg family still owns the castle today; Christoph von Seydlitz-Wolffskeel, its present owner, is a grandson of Luitpold Graf Wolffskeel von Reichenberg.

The castle’s history is marked by destruction and rebuilding. During the Peasants’ War of 1525 parts were ruined, leaving only traces of the old curtain wall and the base of a round tower. In the 17th century the northern residential wing rose in Renaissance style, its gable and upper storey built in timber framing in 1615. A century later the southern wing followed, its windows framed in baroque style. A trapezoidal inner courtyard of about 400 square metres is enclosed by these two wings and several outbuildings, all surrounded by a triangular enceinte.

Visitors walk through the restored courtyard and see the two wings with their stepped gables and contrasting construction dates. The northern wing’s timber-framed upper section contrasts with the southern wing’s baroque windows. Outside the enceinte the surrounding landscape of Lower Franconia stretches away, offering quiet views of vineyards and gentle hills. The entire complex, awarded the Bavarian State Medal for Monument Conservation in 1997, remains a private home but welcomes those who appreciate medieval architecture and family history.