Schloss Kranzbach, Arts and Crafts castle in Krün, Germany
Schloss Kranzbach is a large, symmetrical stone house near Klais in the Krün municipality, built at about 1,040 metres between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald. Its rough grey stone blocks rise to a steep dark roof with small dormer windows and two chimney-like stacks, while the central section is topped by a long red metal roof. Red-and-white striped shutters flank many rectangular windows, and a projecting stone portal with a crest and steps frames the arched entrance. It has operated as a wellness hotel since 2007.
Mary Isabel Portman, a 36-year-old London aristocrat, signed the purchase contract for the Kranzbachwiese meadow in 1913. English architects Detmar Blow and Fernand Billerey designed the house in the Arts and Crafts style, and it was finished in 1915. The First World War ended Portman's plan to host artist friends there, and she never returned. A fire on the night of 16–17 December 1933 largely destroyed the main building, which was later repaired.
Locals soon called the house the "English Castle" because its stepped gables recalled the stone country houses of Scotland and Ireland. The estate once held a private concert hall and a lawn-tennis court, and the interior today was designed by British architect Ilse Crawford.
Schloss Kranzbach stands about 3 km from Krün in the Elmautal valley, on a plateau at roughly 1,040 m between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald. The approach road leaves the village and climbs to the property, so arriving by car or taxi is the simplest option. Walking trails through the surrounding forest and meadows need no special gear.
The estate once held a private concert hall and a grass tennis court, and in 1929 a Deutsche Universal-Film crew came to shoot on location. In 1955 Wilhelm Dieterle filmed scenes for "Das Schweigen im Walde", adapted from Ludwig Ganghofer's novel, here.
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