Colditz Castle

Colditz Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world for a reason unrelated to its architecture: during World War II, it served as Oflag IV-C, a POW camp for Allied officers considered high-security escape risks by the German military. The escape attempts including a glider built in the attic and launched from the roof, tunnels, disguises as prison guards, forged documents, and even a fake wiring system for an imaginary electric guitar are legendary and have been documented in books and films. The castle itself is a 16th-century Renaissance palace built between 1504 and 1547 for Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony, designed by architect Hans von Schonberg. The castle consists of a long residential wing, a chapel with a notable painted ceiling by Lucas Cranach the Younger, a great hall with carved wood panelling and a painted ceiling depicting scenes from classical mythology, and a terrace overlooking the Mulde river. The castle museum covers the history of the escapes in detail, along with the castles earlier role as a Saxon electoral residence and its later use in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a psychiatric hospital, a sanatorium, and a prison. Colditz is accessible by regional train from Leipzig, about one hour, followed by a 15-minute walk uphill from the station.