The medieval hilltop castle in Creuzburg lies in the middle of the town, standing guard over the Werra valley. It is considered the sister castle of Wartburg Castle near Eisenach. The Ludovingians resided at Creuzburg Castle and it was the preferred residence of Landgravine Elisabeth of Thuringia, who would later become the national heroine of the Middle Ages. Her son Hermann was born here in 1222.
Landgrave Ludwig IV, who also built the Werra Bridge and the Liborius Chapel, had the castle built from 1165. According to tradition, it was built on the foundations of a former monastery. Most parts of the Romanesque ring-walled castle are still in their original state. During the Thuringian War of Succession, the castle had to withstand numerous sieges. Later, under Wettin rule, the castle became the seat of the Creuzburg administrative office. From the 15th century onwards, however, its military value declined and from then on it was mostly used as a hostel for passing armies.
In the 18th century, the Saxon Duke Johann Wilhelm commissioned his master builder Gottfried Heinrich Krohne to convert the castle into a palace complex. The duke's house, the coach houses and the sculptures in the castle park date from this period.
In 1899, a Mr. von Dreyse acquired the estate. In 1921, the Erfurt hotelier and patron Georg Kossenhaschen bought Creuzburg Castle, had it artistically renovated and made it his private residence. Miraculously, the castle suffered only minor damage during the heavy fighting on April 1, 1945 and was later occupied by American troops. The Kossenhaschen family was expropriated without compensation after the Soviet occupiers moved in. Unfortunately, most of the valuable interior furnishings were lost. During the GDR era, the castle was used as a border barracks, later as a school and vacation camp and had to be closed by the building police in 1975 due to lack of repairs. The interest group "Die Creuzburg", founded in 1981, was able to gradually demolish and renovate the buildings. The castle was made accessible to the public again by 1991. Conversion work for a future hotel was carried out until 1997. Today, the old walls are home to a museum and the hotel and restaurant "Auf der Creuzburg".