Franconian luminaire

From the history:

The „Fränkische Leuchte“, as it is affectionately known today, first appears as a castle in a written record in 1317. As the official residence of the Count of Henneberg, it played an important role in the defense of the Henneberg territory together with the Veste Coburg.

After 1485, when it passed into Ernestine ownership, it was converted into a late Gothic palace complex, which was rebuilt into a magnificent Renaissance palace in the late Renaissance (around 1550). The French building, completed by Nikolaus Gromann in 1564, is still regarded today as an architectural highlight in Thuringian-Franconian castle construction.

Following attempts to extend the fortress by Duke Ernst the Pious of Saxe-Gotha, the castle fell into disrepair. It was not until 1874 that Duke Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen - as his future second residence and in the spirit of German castle romanticism - gave it its present form with the addition of the Hausmann and Hexenturm towers.

Its nationalization after the end of the Second World War in 1945 was followed by its use as a children's home between 1951 and 1982.

Heldburg Castle has belonged to the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation since 1994, which is gradually restoring the magnificent walls.

Today:

In addition to its architecture, which dominates the landscape and is visible from far and wide across the Heldburger Unterland, today the German Castle Museum as a magnet for visitors from near and far. It focuses on the „castle“ phenomenon for the German cultural area in a supra-regional context and uses impressive exhibits, authentic rooms, models and multimedia presentations to illustrate why princely power was not a matter of course.    

Numerous temporary exhibitions, interesting lecture series and regular events and markets in and around the Veste make a trip to Heldburg an experience at any time of the year.

A new restaurant at the Veste will open in April 2023!