Schloss Colditz
Good for: WWII history, Spending a night at a castle, Base to explore Saxony
- Address
- Schlossgasse 1
- Website
- Phone
- 034381-437 77
- Price
- adult/concession/family €6/3/12
- Hours
- 10.30am-5pm daily Apr-Oct, 10am-4pm Nov-Mar
Lonely Planet review for Schloss Colditz
High on a crag above the sleepy town of Colditz, some 46km southeast of Leipzig, is the imposing Schloss Colditz, a Renaissance palace that's seen stints as a hunting lodge, a poorhouse and a mental hospital. Mostly, though, it's famous as Oflag IVC, a WWII-era high-security prison for Allied officers, including a nephew of Winston Churchill. Most astounding, perhaps, is a 44m-long tunnel below the chapel that French officers dug in 1941-42, before the Germans caught them. You can see some of these contraptions, along with lots of photographs, in the small but fascinating Fluchtmuseum (Escape Museum) within the palace. Several inmates wrote down their experiences later, of which Pat Reid's The Colditz Story is the best-known account.
Traveller reviews for Schloss Colditz (1)
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Read the books, stay the night and take the tour.
peter_j recommends this,
Hostel - new, clean, can't comment on atmosphere as I was the only one staying which was a little odd at night. (you can take the opportunity to shimmy around the German courtyard at night to get a real feel of the place...a little bit pricey (premium to pay for non members) but very nice breakfast buffet - yes, they did it all just for me!
Castle - You do get the feeling of deja vu, as have read so much, plus with films, TV, documentaries.. the castle grounds seem to be free entry, there is a small museum (1 hours worth) which costs a few euros.. the free exhibits in the courtyard + adjacent rooms are as good as the museum.
Highlight of the trip was the 'extended tour' . I booked in advance , but 7 more turned up on the day (well acutally joined a couple of mins in). The tour guide Steffi is incredibly knowledgeable, 2 1/2 hours, for a great tour of tunnels ,hidden rooms, the famous theatre.. I can't recommend the tour highly enough
Transport - I took the bus/train from Dresden, then on to Leipzig, all very easy ( can book to d-Bahn website).
Good for: WWII history, Spending a night at a castle, Base to explore Saxony
