Photos courtesy of Hotel Schloss Landsberg
A castle has existed on this site since the 12th century. The location helped secure the Gotha-Würzburg-Frankfurt trade route. Destroyed in the Peasants’ War and subsequent Thirty Years War, the only trace of the original castle is a well shaft.
Inspired by the lavish residences of the English nobility, Bernhard II Erich Freund von Sachsen-Meiningen built Schloss Landsberg in 1836 in the Gothic Revival style. Its architects were Döbner August Wilhelm and Carl Alexander von Geideloff.
Bernhard no doubt was influenced by his visits to his older sister, Adelaide, the queen consort of King William IV of England.
He seldom lived in his castle, and his son, George II, stayed here even less, the latter using it to store his art collection. Finally, his descendents sold the property and its contents to a New York merchant, who came here to live. Later it was sold to a family in Berlin.
Following World War II, the estate was nationalized and used as a retirement home and medical education center.
Pamela’s Perspective
This castle hotel is owned by Stiftung Meininger Baudenkmäter, a non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving the monuments of Meininger. The foundation also operates other hotels in the area, including a jail!
Hotel Schloss Landsberg
A 19th-century palace
Contact
Landsberg Strasse 150
98617 Meiningen
Tel: ++49 (0) 3693 4409 0
Fax: ++49 (0) 3693 4409 44
Hotel website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
20 rooms
Double rooms: 98–158 euros
Suites: 178–298 euros
Breakfast extra
Getting there
Meiningen is southwest of Erfurt off Route A71.
What to do
Nearby: hiking; cycling
Weddings
Yes. The Great Knights Hall serves as the wedding room for the registry.
Perched on a forested hillside, Hotel Schloss Landsberg stands alone commanding views over the Thuringian countryside (be sure to climb the observation tower).
Here, the castle towers and walls are not as ancient as they would appear; this structure is less than two hundred years old, and has a small connection with British royalty.
If you arrive in the afternoon, you’ll be welcomed by the friendly staff and offered tea and pastries in the tower bar. An elevator will take you to your room.
Guest rooms are located in the upper stories, with four double rooms tucked under the eaves of the attic (not reachable by elevator). Each room is uniquely decorated. Some feature stained-glass windows, painted wall murals, and four-poster beds. All have bathrooms with either a bathtub or shower.
The hotel offers a gourmet restaurant in the great hall, or in the castle tavern called the “Burgschänke.” When the weather is decent, guests can enjoy the outdoor terrace and beer garden.
Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas.
Something special
Jazz nights and summer theatre