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Heidecksburg today

Germany · Still standing

Heidecksburg

Heidecksburg is a Baroque palace in Rudolstadt, Thuringia, that served as the princely residence of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. It stands prominently on a steep hillside approximately 60 m above the old town and retains its historic appearance.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1740

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1740

What Heidecksburg looked like in its prime.

Long, continuous pale-yellow plastered Baroque palace built along a steep hillside, three storeys of regular rectangular windows and a low hipped roof with dormers; a prominent central tower with a dark stone drum and a green patinated copper dome and lantern rises above the roofline. The base of the slope is terraced with stone retaining walls and planted beds; the principal façade includes a row of large arched openings (loggia) visible on the mid-level.

Its story

The story of Heidecksburg.

Heidecksburg is a Baroque palace standing prominently on a steep hillside some 60 metres above the old town of Rudolstadt in Thuringia. It served as the residence of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

After a fire in 1735 the palace was reconstructed, and that rebuilding has remained intact ever since, surviving even the Second World War undamaged.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1740.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Heidecksburg, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the old town belowTerraced gardens and vineyard wallsStone stair and lower entrancePrincipal façade along the slopeArched loggia and mid-level openingsCentral cupola tower exterior

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Heidecksburg.

A strategy game played on Heidecksburg’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Heidecksburg.

The families that held Heidecksburg for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Schwarzburg

    Residence of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

From the archive

Heidecksburg on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Heidecksburg, Heidecksburg

Heidecksburg

· Deutsche Fotothek (via Europeana)

CC BY-SA

Heidecksburg Palace, Heidecksburg

Heidecksburg Palace

1735 · Deutsche Fotothek (via Europeana)

Public domain

Schloss Heidecksburg, Heidecksburg

Schloss Heidecksburg

1735 · Deutsche Fotothek (via Europeana)

Public domain

Questions about Heidecksburg

What is the history of Heidecksburg?

Heidecksburg’s history begins with a 13th-century castle on the site of today’s gardens. It was acquired by the Counts of Schwarzburg in 1334 and destroyed in March 1345 during the Thuringian Counts’ War. A Renaissance residence was built from 1571, but a fire in 1735 led to the Baroque reconstruction that remains today.

What is inside Heidecksburg?

Inside Heidecksburg are the Great Hall, the Red Rooms, the Green Hall and the Mirror Cabinet. The 12-metre-high Great Hall has curved walls, stove niches, curved corners with buffet niches, upper loges, rich stucco decoration and a ceiling fresco. The palace also contains galleries, staircases and the former princely court kitchen housing the Rococo en miniature exhibition.

Who owns Heidecksburg now?

Heidecksburg is now owned by the Stiftung Thüringer Schlösser und Gärten. The foundation has been the palace’s owner since 1994, during which time it has carried out extensive renovation work, including repairs to the courtyard, galleries and roof.

Why was Heidecksburg built, and what was it used for?

Heidecksburg was built as a princely residence for Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The earlier castle was transformed into a Renaissance residence after the 1570 division of the Schwarzburg territories, and the Baroque rebuilding after the 1735 fire served the representational needs of the elevated princely house. It now accommodates a museum and a state archive.

Does anyone live at Heidecksburg now?

Heidecksburg is not described as a current private residence. It now houses the Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg and the Rudolstadt State Archive, and it is also the seat of the Stiftung Thüringer Schlösser und Gärten. Its former role was as the residence of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.

Where is Heidecksburg?

Heidecksburg is in Rudolstadt, in Thuringia. The palace stands prominently about 60 metres above the old town, on a steep hillside overlooking the historic town centre.

Is Heidecksburg still standing, or is it a ruin?

Heidecksburg is still standing and remains intact. The present Baroque palace was reconstructed after the fire of 1735, incorporating surviving parts of the earlier building, and it remained undamaged during the Second World War. Renovation and conservation work has continued, including extensive measures since 1994.

Which family or clan held Heidecksburg?

The Schwarzburg family held Heidecksburg as the residence of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. The palace served this princely house before becoming a museum and archive complex.

What did Heidecksburg look like in its prime?

In its prime, Heidecksburg was a long, pale-yellow Baroque palace running along a steep hillside. It has three storeys of regular rectangular windows, a low hipped roof with dormers and a central cupola tower with a dark stone drum, green patinated copper dome and lantern. Terraces, retaining walls, planted beds and an arched loggia mark the slope.

Can you visit Heidecksburg?

Heidecksburg can be visited as a public cultural site. Its princely rooms can be seen on guided visits, and the palace houses the Thuringian State Museum Heidecksburg and the Rudolstadt State Archive. Comprehensive renovation work is expected to continue until 2030, and access to parts of the palace may sometimes be restricted.

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