Now housing a hotel and restaurant, this well-preserved hilltop castle was originally built as a bastion against Magyar incursions in the 10th century, then extensively reconstructed in the 17th and 19th centuries. Request ahead to climb the Hohenlohe tower for stunning views of the surrounding Thuringian basin. Veste Wachsenburg is linked to the other two Drei Gleichen castles (Burg Gleichen and Mühlburg) by the 12km Burgenroute walking circuit.
Veste Wachsenburg
Erfurt, Weimar & Thuringia
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.73 MILES
Between 1937 and 1945, hidden from Weimarers and surrounding villagers, 250,000 men, women and children were incarcerated here, some 56,500 of whom were…
25.99 MILES
When it comes to medieval castles and their importance in German history, Eisenach's Unesco-listed Wartburg dominates the landscape. This huge medieval…
9.67 MILES
This horseshoe-shaped palace, surviving in exemplary condition as the largest early baroque palace in Germany, is a lavish, creaky-floored delight. Much…
20.67 MILES
Overlooking Schmalkalden, the late-Renaissance Schloss Wilhelmsburg was built between 1585 and 1590 by Landgrave Wilhelm IV of Hessen as a hunting lodge…
Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek
21.59 MILES
Assembled by Duchess Anna Amalia (1739–1807), the power (and purse) behind Weimar's classical florescence, this Unesco-listed library has been beautifully…
10.32 MILES
Situated on the Petersberg hill northwest of Domplatz, this 36-hectare citadel ranks among Europe’s largest and best-preserved baroque fortresses. While…
10.34 MILES
Erfurt's cathedral, where Martin Luther was ordained a priest, grew over the centuries from a simple 8th-century chapel into the stately Gothic pile of…
21.42 MILES
This is the world's leading museum on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's literary colossus. It incorporates his home of 50 years, gifted by Duke Carl…
Nearby Erfurt, Weimar & Thuringia attractions
2.07 MILES
The oldest of the three Drei Gleichen ('Three Like') castles, Mühlburg was first mentioned in 704 and possibly existed in some form as early as 319 …
2.22 MILES
The northernmost of the 'Three Like' castles that gave their name to the Drei Gleichen municipality southeast of Gotha, this 11th-century ruin used to be…
9.38 MILES
It’s easy to spend hours amid the riotous flower beds, Japanese rock garden, Schmetterlinghaus (butterfly house) and greenhouses of the rambling GDR-era…
9.5 MILES
The handsome neo-Renaissance building to the south of the Schloss Friedenstein now houses many of the artistic and historical treasures amassed by the…
9.67 MILES
This horseshoe-shaped palace, surviving in exemplary condition as the largest early baroque palace in Germany, is a lavish, creaky-floored delight. Much…
9.88 MILES
Hauptmarkt is dominated by the picturesque Rathaus, with its colourful Renaissance facade and 35m-tall tower. It started out as a storage house in 1567,…
10.32 MILES
Situated on the Petersberg hill northwest of Domplatz, this 36-hectare citadel ranks among Europe’s largest and best-preserved baroque fortresses. While…
10.34 MILES
Erfurt's cathedral, where Martin Luther was ordained a priest, grew over the centuries from a simple 8th-century chapel into the stately Gothic pile of…