Attraction · Kulmbach · Updated on 1 November 2026.
Plassenburg is an attraction in Kulmbach, Bavaria. This place has a story in the app. 6 of the 31 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 370 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet and a water point.
Story · Plassenburg
You're standing at the Plassenburg in Kulmbach, in the Franconian part of Bavaria. This castle is the symbol of the town and one of the most impressive castles in Germany. Take in the sheer size of it. What you're looking at isn't a simple medieval keep, but a fortress and a huge palace rolled into one.
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Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.
The Plassenburg in Kulmbach is an attraction combining a fortress and a large palace. The castle is the symbol of the town and is known as one of the most impressive castles in the country. Today you can visit the museum, which holds military objects and portraits from the past. You will find this Plassenburg in Kulmbach at Festungsberg 26. It lies close to the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain, the Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum and the Badhaus.
From the outside, you can see that this castle combines a strong fortress with a large palace. The whole complex is impressive in size. Inside the museum, you will find a collection of portraits and military objects. You can walk around here and look at the different rooms. Cultural events are also held at this site, so check the programme to see what is on when you visit. There is also a tower room where a prisoner was once held.
The name of this castle first appears in 1135, when graaf Berthold II van Andechs, who probably also founded it, is mentioned. Later it passed to the counts of Weimar-Orlamünde and, from 1340, to the Hohenzollerns. In 1397 burggraaf Frederik V came to live here. From 1493 the castle served as a family prison. In 1515 markgraaf Casimir locked up his own father in a tower room for 12 years. In 1554 the fortress was destroyed during the Tweede Markgravenoorlog. Architect Caspar Vischer then rebuilt it as a palace and fortress. In 1792 markgraaf Alexander sold it to the koning van Pruisen. In 1806 an army under Jérôme Bonaparte laid siege to the castle. When Kulmbach became part of Beieren in 1810, the castle served as a military hospital and a prison. During the Tweede Wereldoorlog, the Organisation Todt used the site as a rest home and training camp.
The Plassenburg is partly wheelchair accessible. Inside the building there is a toilet suitable for wheelchair users. More information about accessibility can be found on the official website at plassenburg.de/de/ihr-besuch/barrierefreiheit. As no further facts are available, you can also look at this website for other practical matters for your visit. There you will find details on how to reach the castle and where you can park. Use this information to plan your route to this attraction in Kulmbach well.
You'll find a toilet at the Plassenburg in Kulmbach, 94 metres away at Festungsberg, and it's free to use. There are 3 public toilets within 500 metres. Benches are also plentiful around the Plassenburg in Kulmbach. The nearest bench is 11 metres away at Schöner Hof, and there are 52 benches within 500 metres. For drinking water near the Plassenburg in Kulmbach, you'll need to walk 367 metres to the Mainpark. Within a 500-metre radius there are 2 water taps.
There are plenty of museums to visit near this castle. The Landschaftsmuseum Obermain is 42 metres away, and the Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum is 72 metres away. The Badhaus is a 410-metre walk. A little further on, there are more museums. The Deutsches Gewürzmuseum is 863 metres away, while the Bayerisches Brauereimuseum is 872 metres away and the Bayerisches Bäckereimuseum is 882 metres away.
The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No bike pump or honesty box within 1 km.
The nearest public toilet is 94 metres away at Festungsberg and is free.
Yes, the nearest bench is 11 metres away at Schöner Hof; there are 52 benches within 500 metres in total.
The nearest drinking water point is 367 metres away at Mainpark.
The museum houses an important collection of military objects and portraits.
The name first appears in 1135 in connection with Berthold II of Andechs, who is probably the founder of the castle.
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