Veste Coburg, Medieval fortress in Coburg, Germany.
Veste Coburg is a fortress expanded from a medieval castle, measuring about 135 by 260 metres and sitting some 160 metres above Coburg's centre. Its rough grey and tan stone walls enclose a square tower with a red-tiled pyramidal roof and a carved coat of arms, cross-shaped openings, and an arched gateway with a sculpted head. A long stone building with a steep red-tiled roof, dormer windows, and a dark rounded turret stands within.
The fortress was founded in the 13th century and served long as protection for the town's people. Martin Luther stayed there in 1530, making the fortress known in Reformation history.
The museums hold the art collections of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, including Old German paintings and sculptures by Lucas Cranach the Elder, who worked at the fortress in 1506/07. A coin cabinet keeps some 20,000 objects, among them Saxon gold, silver and base-metal coins from the 14th to the 19th century.
The site is reachable on foot from Coburg town center, but leads uphill and takes some time. You should wear good shoes and allow time for the climb.
The fortress's museums hold significant early modern coaches and sleighs, not medieval ones, alongside a ducal art collection, arms and armour, and about 20,000 coins. Lucas Cranach the Elder lived and worked here in 1506/07, and his paintings are among the collection's holdings.
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