Blankenburg Castle

High above the city with a wide view of the Harz foothills is the Baroque Blankenburg Castle. From this striking place the fortunes of the region were directed for almost 800 years. At the beginning of the 12th century it was a residence of the Saxon Duke Lothar von Supplingenburg, later emperor of the German-Roman Empire. From then until 1599 the Blankenburg and Regenstein Counts had their seat here, before it returned to the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. The castle, once designed as a fortified castle, has undergone many structural changes over the centuries. Today the imposing displays a simple Baroque elegance. After the Second World War and the relocation of the dukes’ family to the Marienburg Castle near Hildesheim in 1945, the castle was used as a convalescent home or as a technical school for domestic trade until 1992.

The subsequent vacancy for 12 years almost destroyed the substance of the building. What looks imposing and impressive from a distance is exposed to decay in many places on closer inspection. However many people from Blankenburg and friends of the castle formed an association in 2005 in order to preserve the great castle. With loving detail work and with the support of many partners and sponsors as well as various subsidies, we have succeeded in completing the most important safeguard measures for the preservation of the building and making the first parts accessible again. The most representative rooms of the complex can be visited during the regular public guided tours of the castle. The Grey Hall, the Theater, the Castle Chapel, the Imperial Hall and the Knight's Hall have been restored and are now available for guided tours and events. Romantic weddings are also held once again in the castle.