Schloss Achberg

Schloss Achberg is a Baroque palace standing on a hill about 492 metres above sea level in the far south of Ravensburg district, near the village of Achberg in Baden-Württemberg. Its foundations were laid in the 17th century as a medieval fortress, but in 1691 Franz Benedikt von Baden, a commander of the Teutonic Order, enlarged it into a noble residence. The Order’s coat of arms still hangs above the main door, marking its long stewardship. The palace’s grand hall survives with some of the finest stucco work in southern Germany, a ceiling so richly decorated that it remains a landmark of the region. After the Order left in 1805 the building passed through several noble hands until 1982, when it was sold and narrowly escaped redevelopment. A local preservation society restored the whole site between 1989 and 1994, returning it to public view. Visitors now find the palace open on weekends from May to October, when changing art exhibitions fill its rooms. The old knights’ hall hosts chamber concerts and song evenings, while a small restaurant beside the courtyard serves dishes from the Allgäu. The surrounding park and terraces give long views across the rolling countryside of Oberschwaben.