Gottorf Castle

Gottorf Castle in the town of Schleswig was the main residence of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf from the 16th to the 18th century. The castle began as a medieval bishops fortification in the 12th century and was transformed into a Renaissance and Baroque palace by the Gottorf dukes, who became one of the most important dynasties in northern Europe, with family members elected to the thrones of Sweden and Russia. The castle is surrounded by a moat and park on a peninsula between the Schlei inlet and the Baltic Sea. The Baroque state rooms on the first floor of the main wing were decorated in the 17th century with stucco work by Italian artisans, painted ceilings with allegorical and mythological scenes, and Flemish tapestries. The chapel in the south wing retains its 16th-century Renaissance interior. The most famous single object associated with the castle is the Gottorf Globe, a 17th-century walk-in globe built between 1650 and 1664 for Duke Frederick III, now housed in the Kunstkammer at the castle. With a diameter of over three metres, it is one of the earliest surviving walk-in globes. The castle grounds include the Neuwerk Baroque garden with its hedge theatre, the Treeneblick terraces overlooking the Schlei, and the St Johns Monastery. Schleswig is reachable by train from Hamburg in about 90 minutes.