Top 18 Castles around Gräfenhainichen

The Wörlitzer 🏰 was built between 1769 and 1773 by Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff. In the region, it is often referred to as the "Little White House."

Reinharz Moated Castle, nestled in forests, resembles a legendary fairytale castle. The castle park and surrounding water features, with their rare trees, invite you to linger. Heinrich von Löser, Electoral Marshal of Saxony, had this impressive moated castle built between 1690 and 1701, featuring a baroque park, a castle pond, and a brewery pond, to provide appropriate accommodation for the nobility during their hunts in the Düben Heath. Source: https://www.anhalt-dessau-wittenberg.de/staedte-sehenswuerdigkeiten-landschaften/wasserschloss-reinharz

Burgkemnitz Castle with beautiful park

The keep is the oldest building (from 1206) in the castle area. The so-called witches' cellar is also located here. Behind it is the main building, which was built as the official residence of the city of Düben and now houses the local history and landscape museum. Next to the main building is the so-called castle guard's house, which now houses a small café. All buildings were extensively renovated in 1997-1999. Source https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_D%C3%BCben

During the Seven Years' War, the Prussian King Frederick II stayed in the castle and set up his army's largest supply depot in Saxony, which was guarded by 5,000 soldiers. This led to the Battle of Torgau on November 3, 1760, which Frederick II was able to win despite heavy losses. During the Wars of Liberation from October 10, 1813 to October 14, 1813, Napoleon set up his headquarters in Düben Castle. According to his own account, he spent the most terrible days of his life here due to the uncertainty of the military and political situation. After 1815, the castle, as well as the town of Düben, became part of Prussia. The justice and revenue office that had existed in the castle in 1780 was dissolved in 1942. After the Second World War, a landscape and local history museum about the town of Bad Düben and the Düben Heath was set up under the leadership of local historian Willy Winkler until 1953. Exhibits on the history of the castle and town of Düben as well as the economic development of the region can be seen. During renovation work in the castle tower in October 2017, a wall frieze by Paul Haffner (* 1874; † 1965) was discovered behind loosened paint residues in the interior of the half-timbered floor. In the early 1950s, Haffner played a key role in the design of the landscape museum's exhibitions. In addition to numerous wall paintings and illustrations that helped to better understand the museum's contents, Haffner, who worked in the printing shop for museum founder Willy Winkler, drew the inventory cards for the collection objects, made many drawings and preparatory work for the museum and helped with the backdrop painting for the local theater.[1] Due to extensive renovation and reconstruction work, the landscape museum in the castle is currently closed and is expected to reopen its doors to visitors in April 2019. The area around the castle, including the ship mill, is still accessible. Source https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_D%C3%BCben

Düben Castle was first mentioned in 981 in the chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg when the diocese of Merseburg was dissolved, still under the Slavic name "Dibni". The location for the construction of the castle was favorable because of the ford over the Mulde on an old trade route. This led to the creation of a Slavic settlement next to the castle. In the course of German colonization of the East, Flemish immigrants founded the community of Neumark next to the castle around 1200. Later, Franconian and Saxon settlers took over the old Slavic farmsteads and thus formed the town of Düben. In 1017, Düben Castle was owned by Count Albi, who was followed shortly afterwards by Count Friedrich von Eilenburg. In connection with the Battle of Welfesholz, Wiprecht von Groitzsch conquered the castle in 1115 and from here took over several manor houses in the area. Margrave Otto the Rich was also imprisoned here for a time. In 1291, the castle came into the possession of the Thuringian Landgraves through an inheritance contract, who gave it as a fief to their followers. In 1450, the castle was completely destroyed during a feud between the brothers Friedrich and Wilhelm of Thuringia. From 1530, the castle was the seat of the Electorate of Saxony's Düben office. The castle became famous beyond the region during the Kohlhase dispute with the nobleman von Zaschwitz and the Elector of Saxony, which began in 1532 and lasted until 1540 (negotiations in Düben in 1533). The most famous head of the office was probably Philipp Melanchthon junior in 1554. During the Thirty Years' War, on September 15, 1631, the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, the Brandenburg Elector Georg Wilhelm and the Saxon Elector Johann Georg I formed an alliance against the Catholic Emperor Ferdinand II and defeated the imperial troops of the general Tilly in the Battle of Breitenfeld. The alliance did not help the city of Düben, which was destroyed three more times (1631, 1637 and 1641) by passing mercenary armies. One of the last witch trials in Germany also took place in Düben Castle. In addition to several stories, tradition tells of a witches' cellar in the castle, of torture (which was banned in Saxony in 1783), a witches' grave and a witches' dance floor. Source https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_D%C3%BCben

Reinharz Castle and Castle Park Heinrich von Löser, Electorate of Saxony's hereditary marshal, had a representative moated castle with a baroque park, castle pond and brewery pond built between 1690 and 1701 in order to provide appropriate accommodation for the nobles during their hunts in the Düben Heath. Löser based the three-story, horseshoe-shaped building on the annual division: the facade is divided into 365 windows, and the castle has 52 doors and 12 rooms. The 68 m high tower was used as an observatory in the 18th century. Valuable scientific equipment was created in the mechanical-optical workshop, including telescopes, reflecting telescopes and sundials. 15 of these are on display in the Mathematical-Physical Salon of the Dresden Zwinger. The formally designed garden was probably completed in the first half of the 18th century under the direction of Hans von Löser. In 1837, the castle, including the farm buildings and park, was sold to the bourgeois Hertwig family, who had the park landscaped after 1850. The northern embroidery parterre with the strictly axial path system was removed. In addition, a connected meadow area, the "castle meadow", was created with many, sometimes rare, individual trees and groups of trees. Today, they characterize the striking old trees. In the southern section of the park, the main path system has largely been preserved. Between 1947 and 1990, the castle and park were used as a spa complex. The complex has been privately owned since 1998. Source: display board

The keep is the oldest building (from 1206) in the castle area. The so-called witches' cellar is also located here. Behind it is the main building, which was built as the official residence of the city of Düben and now houses the local history and landscape museum. Next to the main building is the so-called castle guard's house, which now houses a small café. All buildings were extensively renovated in 1997-1999. At the foot of the castle is the mountain ship mill, which has also been restored. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_D%C3%BCben