Schloss Ralswiek, Renaissance castle in Ralswiek, Germany

Schloss Ralswiek is a manor house on a hill above the Großer Jasmunder Bodden on the island of Rügen. Built 1894–1896 to designs by Berlin architect Gustav Stroh, the rectangular building is flanked by two towers with conical roofs, while the tower before the entrance rises above them. Its east side faces the Bodden, and a covered courtyard lies inside the main block.

The castle was built between 1894 and 1896 for manufacturer Hugo Sholto Graf Douglas, replacing a single-story structure that had stood on the same plot. Berlin architect Gustav Stroh designed the new building in a Renaissance Revival style for its new owner.

The name Ralswiek comes from an old Slavic settlement site on the Großer Jasmunder Bodden. Since 1993 the castle has hosted the Störtebeker-Festspiele, an open-air festival named after the pirate Klaus Störtebeker, staged from late June to early September on the natural amphitheatre below the house.

The castle sits on a hill and is easy to reach on foot, though the terrain can slope depending on the path you take. Booking ahead is advisable if you plan to stay or dine here, especially during the summer months when demand is higher.

At the foot of the hill sits a natural open-air theater that hosts a summer festival drawing thousands of people to the waterfront. This makes the grounds one of the most visited outdoor performance spaces on the island of Rügen.