Numerous castles can be found in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. These buildings, some of which have a history of over 1000 years, were the setting of historical events, domains of famous personalities and are still imposing buildings to this day.
This list encompasses castles described in German as Burg (castle), Festung (fort/fortress), Schloss (manor house) and Palais/Palast (palace). Many German castles after the Middle Ages were mainly built as royal or ducal palaces rather than as fortified buildings.
| Name | Image | Location | Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altdischingen Castle | Weilimdorf 48.7942°N 1.0342°W | Burgstall | 11th-12th Centuries | A ruined castle lying in the Stadtbezirk of Weilimdorf. | |
| Altenburg Castle | Bad Cannstatt | A ruined castle located near Bad Cannstatt. | |||
| Bärenschlössle | Stuttgart-West 48.7608°N 9.0914°W | Hunting lodge | 1768 | A villa originally designed by Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer for Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg in 1768. The Bärenschlössle was demolished in 1793, but was rebuilt and the grounds were restored by King William I. Again the villa faced destruction during World War II in 1943 when a fire bomb struck the building and yet again in 1994, when the property burned to the ground. Today, the Bärenschlössle is a visitor center and a restaurant. | |
| Berg Castle | Stuttgart-East 48.7961°N 9.2061°W | Burgstall | 12th Century | A ruined 12th Century castle, demolished in 1287, located in Stuttgart-East.[1] | |
| Brie Castle | Bad-Cannstatt | Burg | |||
| Crown Prince's Palace (Stuttgart) | Stuttgart 48.7782°N 9.1778°W | Demolished | 1846–50 | Built from 1846 to 1850 for the residence of the Crown Prince of Württemberg designed and built by Ludwig Friedrich Gaab under King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in high Renaissance style. After the abdication of the last King of Württemberg, the building was used as an exhibition hall in the 1920s and an art museum in the 1930s. The building was largely destroyed during the Bombing of Stuttgart in World War II, causing the building's complete demolition in 1963. Since 2005, the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart has stood in its place. | |
| Dischingen Castle | Weilimdorf | Ruin | |||
| Engelburg Castle | Mühlhausen 48.8432°N 9.2282°W | Ruin | |||
| Frauenberg Castle | Feuerbach 48.8014°N 9.1592°W | Ruin | |||
| Freienstein Castle | Münster 48.8338°N 9.2066°W | Ruin | |||
| Gaisburg Castle | Gaisburg | Ruin | |||
| Hedelfingen Castle | Hedelfingen 48.7626°N 9.2434°W | Ruin | |||
| Heidenburg | Mühlhausen 48.8441°N 9.231°W | Tower | c. 1200 | ||
| Heslach Castle | Heslach 48.7544°N 9.1483°W | Burgstall | |||
| Hofen Castle | Hofen 48.8383°N 9.2289°W | Ruin | |||
| Hohenheim Castle | Hohenheim 48.7119°N 9.2141°W | Schloss | 1772–93 | A castle built on commission by Charles Eugene for his wife Franziska von Hohenheim.[2] Construction dragged on for 21 years, finally ending with the Duke's death in 1793.[3] After a further 20 years of continued maintenance of the gardens surrounding the abandoned and decaying palace, King William I and his wife Catherine founded an agricultural school on the grounds of the palace in 1818. Today, after renovations lasting from 1967–1993, the castle holds the University of Hohenheim.[4] | |
| Kaltental Castle | Kaltental 48.7407°N 9.1317°W | Burgstall | 1281 | ||
| Möhringen Castle (Stuttgart) | Möhringen 48.742°N 9.1336°W | Burgstall | 12th–15th centuries | ||
| Mühlhausen Castle (Stuttgart) | Mühlhausen | ||||
| New Palace (Mühlhausen) | Mühlhausen | ||||
| New Palace (Stuttgart) | Stuttgart-Center 48.7781°N 9.1819°W | Schloss | 1746–1807; 1958–64 | The great palace of Duke Charles Eugene built for his rule and governance following his return from the court of the King of Prussia Frederick the Great in 1744.[5] Construction began in 1744 and lasted until 1807, thanks to political and economic troubles, and was infrequently used by the Württembergs. | |
| Old Castle (Stuttgart) | Stuttgart-Center 48.7772°N 9.1792°W | Castle | 950 | When Stuttgart was founded as a stud farm for Duke Liudolf of Swabia, a fortress was also built to protect the farm. From the 14th century onward, it became the residence of the Counts and later Dukes of Württemberg and their court. The castle was renovated in the late 16th century by two dukes, only to be extensively damaged by fire during the Second World War. Today, the castle houses the Landesmuseum Württemberg and a plaque dedicated to notable Swabian Claus von Stauffenberg. | |
| Palm's Castle | Mühlhausen 48.844°N 9.2293°W | Schloss | 1813 | ||
| Plieningen Castle | Plieningen 48.7022°N 9.214°W | Burgstall | c. 1200 | ||
| Rohr Castle | Vaihingen 48.7173°N 9.2704°W | Burgstall | c. 13th Century | ||
| Rohreck Castle | Rohracker 48.7587°N 9.2113°W | Burgstall | 1220–76 | ||
| Rosenstein Castle | Bad Cannstatt 48.801°N 9.206°W | Schloss | 1822–30 | A palace built for King William I by court architect Giovanni Salucci from 1822 to 1830. Today, it houses the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart. | |
| Castle Solitude | Stuttgart-West 48.7869°N 9.0842°W | Schloss | 1763–67 | A Rococo hunting retreat built for Duke Charles Eugene from 1763 to 1767 on a ridge near Stuttgart that overlooks the nearby towns of Weilimdorf, Gerlingen, and Leonberg.[6] After a construction phase haunted by political drama, the Karlsschule opened here in 1770 and Friederich Schiller received some of his early education here. In the early 20th Century, the palace was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle was restored by the Federal Government from 1972–83 and today houses two schools and the Graevenitz Museum. | |
| Stammheim Castle | Stammheim 48.8489°N 9.1586°W | 1579–81 | A medieval design by Heinrich Schickhardt built in the late 16th century. Today, it houses a nursery home. | ||
| Stöckach Castle | Stuttgart | ||||
| Stuttgart Castle | Stuttgart | ||||
| Wilhelma | Bad Cannstatt 48.8053°N 9.2031°W | Palais | |||
| Wilhelm Palais | Stuttgart-Center 48.7761°N 9.1842°W | Schloss | 1834–40 | ||
| Wirtemberg Castle | Rotenberg 48.7821°N 9.2687°W | Ruins | |||