Castles & Palaces
Burghausen Castle – an impenetrable fortress
For more than a thousand years, the castle has been watching over the surrounding area as a prime example of a Gothic fortification. This is quite possibly the most phenomenal castle of its kind in the whole of Germany and certainly an important page in the Bavarian history book.
Burghausen Castle has been through a lot in its time, from the threat of a Turkish siege to the defence of the approaching Swedes in 1632. The castle's roots originally date back to the 8th or 9th century. But its appearance as we know it today with its fortified towers, walls up to five metres thick, keep, great halls, moats and drawbridges originated in the 13th to 15th century. Extensive restoration work on the castle began almost 50 years ago and it is quite possibly more beautiful now than it ever was under the rule of all those lords of the manor.
The castle also doubles up as a wonderful museum. The state collections include furniture, weaponry and art from the fort's heyday. On top of all that, the House of Photography is well worth a visit, boasting over 300 exhibits across 15 rooms, including the camera that they took on the first manned flight into space. The viewing platform on the roof offers a magnificent panoramic view of the entire castle grounds and the stunning surrounding landscape. Another fun fact is that Burghausen Castle is the longest castle in the world, measuring in at 1051 metres in length.