Pottenstein
Castles and Palaces
Pottenstein is located in the heart of Franconian Switzerland, surrounded by rocks, water, forests, romantic mills and pretty half-timbered houses. The state-approved climatic health resort at the confluence of the Püttlach, Weihersbach and Haselbrunnbach streams is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the region for good reason. Nestled in a truly wild and romantic setting, Pottenstein scores with a variety of attractions – from the world-famous Devil's Cave to the fossil hunting site,.... [More about Pottenstein]
Pottenstein - Leienfels ruins (c) Pottenstein Tourist Office.
Pottenstein - Leienfels ruins (c) Pottenstein Tourist Office.
Pottenstein – View from the Leienfels ruins (c) Pottenstein Tourist Office.
Burgruine Leienfels
Behind the small hamlet of Leienfels, which belongs to Pottenstein, the ruins of Leinefels Castle lie hidden in the forest. Anyone who walks through the freely accessible ruins of the 14th-century hilltop castle will reach one of the most beautiful vantage points in the whole of Franconian Switzerland: from the 590-metre-high Schloßberg, the view extends more than 30 kilometres in ideal weather conditions.
The late medieval noble castle, whose name is thought to derive from ‘Löwenfels’ (lion rock), was probably built by Seibot I von Egloffstein, who is documented between 1285 and 1332. It was first mentioned in a document in 1372, conquered shortly afterwards (1380) by troops of the Bishop of Bamberg and the Nuremberg Burgrave Friedrich V, and destroyed in 1397 on the orders of the German-Bohemian King Wenceslas.
Burgruine Leienfels
Tourist-Information Pottenstein
Forchheimer Str. 1
91278 Pottenstein
Telefon +49 9243 70841
info@pottenstein.de
www.pottenstein.de
Pottenstein Castle (c) Pottenstein Tourist Office.
Pottenstein Castle (c) Photo Calendar Franconia / Frank Schneider.
Pottenstein Castle - Knights' Hall (c) Photo Calendar Franconia / Frank Schneider.
Pottenstein Castle - collection of weapons (c) Photo Calendar Franconia / Frank Schneider.
Burg Pottenstein
Pottenstein Castle, bizarrely located on a rock, is considered the oldest castle in Franconian Switzerland. The complex houses a museum that presents prehistoric and early historical objects, a weapons collection, books and letters, and three showrooms set up as an ensemble. Large parts of the castle can be visited. The park-like garden of the upper castle offers a wonderful view of the city and the surrounding area.
The castle was the residence of Botho of Carinthia (1027/28 – 1104), who came into possession of the area around Pottenstein through marriage. It passed to the diocese of Bamberg at the beginning of the 12th century and served as an official castle for the Bamberg bishops for over 700 years until secularization in 1803. Between Easter and Pentecost 1228, the Landgravine Elisabeth of Thuringia, the “Saint Elisabeth”, stayed here for a few weeks after her escape from the Wartburg, as Pottenstein was the official castle of her uncle, the Bamberg bishop Ekbert von Andechs-Meranien. The Elisabeth Room in the former residential tower commemorates the prominent visit. During the Peasants' War in 1525, the castle was occupied and looted, but not set on fire. During the Second Margrave War, parts of the castle, including the chapel, were destroyed by Ansbach-Kulmbach troops. However, in the Thirty Years' War in 1634, the castle was successfully defended against the Swedish Colonel von Cratz. When the official residence was moved from the castle to the city in 1750, the castle fell into disrepair. In 1878 it came into private ownership. It has been the property of the Barons of Wintzingerode since 1918.
Open from April to the end of October. You can find the opening hours here.
Burg Pottenstein
Freiherr von Wintzingerodesche Burgverwaltung
Burgstraße 13
91278 Pottenstein
Telefon +49 (0) 9243 - 7221
Burg.Pottenstein@t-online.de
www.burgpottenstein.de