Photos courtesy of Dornröschenschloss Sababurg
Once upon a time, the body of Christ was discovered in the nearby village of Gottsbüren. It didn’t take long for word of this miracle to spread far and wide, and pilgrims soon trickled and then flooded in to pay their respects. Sababurg was built in 1334 to safeguard these pious travelers.
In less than a 100 years though, ownership of the castle became hotly contested between Mainz, Hesse, Braunschweig, and Paderborn, causing the inevitable strife, conflict, and ruin. A certain Count Wilhelm I, who enjoyed hunting in the area, built a hunting castle on the site.
During the Thirty Years’ War and the Seven Years’ War, soldiers plundered and damaged whatever they could. Finally, in 1765, Sababurg was restored by Friedrich II, who brought life and parties back to the castle.
Pamela’s Perspective
Sababurg lies on the popular Fairy Tale Road (Marchen Strasse), one of the themed roads that highlight various German regions. This one leads deep into the forests and past landscapes that inspired the Brothers Grimm, who were famed not only for their fairy tales but as chroniclers of German folk traditions. If you come to Sababurg as a non-guest, you’ll have to pay a small fee to tour the castle.
Dornröschenschloss Sababurg
A 14th-century castle
Contact
D-34369 Hofgeismar
(Sababurg)
Tel: ++49 (0) 5671 8080
Fax: ++49 (0) 5671 808-200
Hotel website
Fast facts
17 rooms
Double rooms: 68–170 euros
Tower room: 230 euros
Rates include tax and service
2-night stay requested on weekends
and holidays.
Open: February through December
Getting there
About 25 km northeast of Kassel, the best routing to get here is to take the N-7 north to the N-83 toward Hofgeismar. Follow the signposts to Sababurg.
What to do
On site: theatre performances
Nearby: hiking; bicycling;
animal park
Weddings
Yes. Inquire hotel for details.
For those of you whose knowledge of castles comes from fairy tales, Sababurg is the real thing. At least the Brothers Grimm, who were frequent guests, thought so; they modeled the castle in their story of Sleeping Beauty from Sababurg. (With due respect to Disney, that other “Sleeping Beauty” castle was inspired from Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.)
The first glimpse of Sababurg, as it appears through the magnificent oak forest, is exciting. Two massive towers and broad turrets have an almost ethereal quality. On closer inspection, you’ll see that one of the towers and an addition contain the hotel.
Period-style decor furnishes some of the guest rooms, with many having excellent views of the countryside. A spiral staircase up the tower leads to the most charming rooms.
The restaurant enjoys a good reputation. Be sure to reserve a table upon arrival.
Something special
Known as the “original” Sleeping Beauty castle
The adjacent park is the oldest animal park in the world, dating back to 1571.