Castle Kranichfeld

The Oberschloss Kranichfeld is a Renaissance palace of the former princely house of Reuss, above the town of Kranichfeld in Thuringia, which emerged from an older castle complex. It is owned by the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation.

The palace complex originated from a medieval castle to protect trade routes through the Ilm Valley. Today, it still reflects the division into outer and main courtyards. Surrounded by a ring wall, which is still partially preserved, it still contains a palace and the ruins of a fortress. Their residential building is of Romanesque origin and was rebuilt in the 16th century. The 27 m high fortress, also known as the “Fat Tower”, has been available as an observation tower since 2002. The glass dome provides a panoramic view of the Middle Ilm valley and the surrounding area. The museum in the palace shows the history of the upper castle, especially the time after the 1934 fire.

Magnificent view

The “Dicke Turm” (3.60 m thick wall, 22 m high) gives the visitor a magnificent view over the city and the landscape conservation area Mittleres Ilmtal. The most famous symbol of the castle is the “Leckarsch”, a Droleriefigur* in a piquant pose, which is located at the southwest corner of the upper castle and around whose origin several legends entwine.
* (Drolerie=French: droll, often drastic representation of humans, animals or mythical creatures in medieval art).

Living history for the visitors

In a permanent exhibition, visitors can relive the history of the castle through photographs, contemporary documents and finds. In a palace for concerts and theater performances and a chapel for wedding ceremonies in a historical ambience, the fairy-tale castle enchants visitors again and again. In addition, the annual castle festival at Whitsun and the Christmas market on the 3rd weekend of Advent also attract many visitors.