Palace Heiligenberg

History

The Counts of Fürstenberg erected Heiligenberg Castle 1538 and 1584 on the site of a medieval fortress.
It is nothing short of a miracle that this outstanding monument of the German Renaissance has been preserved nearly unaltered.
Retreating bands of mercenaries in the Thirty Years Was had already ignited the fuses to blow up the entire complex. And Heiligenberg Castle also remained largely spared of the continuous alterations undertaken to conform to ever-changing living and representational need as the castle lords mostly held high imperial offices at Vienna or the court of Augustus II the Strong at Dresden.

They therefore only resided for brief periods of time in Heiligenberg. The autonomous Heiligenberg line of the House of Fürstenberg became extinguished in 1716. The castle went largely unnoticed for many decades, and for this reason a German Renaissance treasure has been preserved here nearly unchanged in a wonderful setting overlooking Lake Constance. The splendid Grand Hall takes up two stories of the south wing.

With its elaborately carved wooden ceiling, the corresponding parquet flooring, the numerous ancestral portraits, domestic windows and coats-of-arms, its beauty is unrivalled anywhere in the Renaissance architecture of Northern Europe. One can enjoy an impressive unsurpassed view; on a clear day one can see the fertile landscape at the foot of the castle, the whole of Lake Constance and the majestic Swiss Alpine mountain range. The Castle Chapel is hardly less impressive than the Grand Hall and is also an important monument of the Fürstenberg family history.

The family burial place has been located in the underlying crypt since 1586. Among those resting here is Prince Max Egon II (1863–1941), one of the closest friends of the Wilhelm II, the last German emperor. The sculptor Hans Wimmer created an outwardly archaic crucifix for his tomb that is one of the particularly precious items in the already profusely decorated Renaissance castle at Heiligenberg.

Guided Tours

The art historical guided tours lasting approximately 75 minutes encompasses the magnificent Grand Hall and the other extraordinary castle rooms, the Court Chapel with its richly decorated wood vaulting, the crypt in which the burial place of the Fürstenberg family has been located since 1586, the “Blue Corridor” with its unique collection of vedute painted by Martin Menrad (circa 1680) showing Fürstenberg castles and residences as well as the castle kitchen and the entrance hall.

Information and Reservations
Tourist-Information Heiligenberg
Telefon: 07554- 998312
Telefax: 07554-998327
www.heiligenberg.de
Email: touristinfo@heiligenberg.de

Admission price
€ 10,00
Opening Hours
Easter Saturday to 31 October
Guided tours are offered daily (except Mondays) at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. Special guided tours for groups are available by appointment.
Stuttgart -> Heiligenberg:
A81 In the direction of Singen, Ak Kreuz Hegau from the A81 to the A98 in the direction of Überlingen, then via Frickingen/Leustetten to Heiligenberg

Bregenz -> Heiligenberg:
From Bregenz (A) via Lindau (D), Friedrichshafen, Markdorf, Salem to Heiligenberg

Friedrichshafen -> Heiligenberg:
From Friedrichshafen via Markdorf, Salem to Heiligenberg

Singen -> Heiligenberg:
A81 in the direction of Stuttgart on the A98, exit Stockach-Ost in the direction of Überlingen, from Überlingen via Frickingen to Heiligenberg

A sufficient number of parking spaces in addition to a helicopter landing pad are available directly on the castle grounds.