Our “Castle Tour” (approx. 50 min) allows visitors to take a look at the most beautiful chambers of the vast castle grounds and its princely collection.
You can follow the german speaking » tour in English.
The Castle Tour starts at the impressive courtyard with the paved lion in its centre. To the north-west, the farm is bordered by the 48 meter high keep, which offers wonderful views far over the heights of the Taunus and Westerwald. Upon request the keep may be visited as part of the guided tour.
Leaving the courtyard the visitor reaches up to the romantical Knight’s Hall with its armaments, as well as its weaponry of tournament, war and hunting from the 13th to the 19th century.
From the gallery of the Stairways Hall visitors receive their first impression of the castle’s courtliest chambers, the State Rooms. Paintings, gobelins, sculptures and contemporary furniture from the 15th to 19th century testify the eventful princely family history of the counts and princes of Solms-Braunfels as well as the numerous family ties to different houses of high nobility.
Among the many sacral artefacts in the Altenberger Rooms, visitors can admire the shrine of the gothic “Altenberger Altar” from the early 14th century. Also on display in the chamber, is the legendary ring of Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia from the early 13th century.
Afterwards the tour leads down to the Deikergalerie (gallery of Deiker). Hunting scenes of red deer and wild boars are shown in this gallery, named after Johannes Deiker, the acting court painter of Braunfels Castle in the mid 19th century.
The Blue Parlor exhibits the busts of Queen Luise of Prussia and her sister Princess Friederike of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, married with Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Solms-Braunfels.
Today’s unmistakable and magical silhouette was bestowed upon the castle by Prince Georg (1836-1891) and his wife Emanuela in the years after 1880. Portraits of both of them and further members of past generations of this princely house can be visited in the Rose Parlor.
Crossing the Canon´s Place, with its heavy bronze canons from the 16th century not only an attraction to our small guests, we finally reach the Paradeplatz. This is also starting point of our Castle Tour.