Wolfenbüttel Castle

Wolfenbuttel Castle was the principal residence of the Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel dukes from the 13th to the 18th century. The present Renaissance structure, built after a devastating fire in 1554 destroyed the original medieval castle, features the distinctive Weser Renaissance style with its decorative gables, three-storey courtyard arcades supported by sandstone columns, and the hefty four-storey tower known as the Hausmannsturm. The main wing was built between 1588 and 1599 by architect Paul Francke, who gave the palace its symmetrical layout around a spacious inner courtyard paved in stone. The interior includes the state rooms with original Renaissance stucco ceilings, the palace chapel with its painted wooden gallery and pulpit, and a museum covering duchy history from the Middle Ages through the Enlightenment, with period furnishings, weapons, and paintings from the ducal collection. Adjacent to the castle is the Herzog August Library, one of the most important historic libraries in Europe, founded in 1572. Its collection of over 400,000 volumes includes 12,000 medieval manuscripts, 300,000 early printed books, a remarkable globes and scientific instruments collection, and a spectacular Baroque library hall built between 1706 and 1710. Wolfenbuttel is a 15-minute train ride from Brunswick, making it an easy day trip from Hanover.