Schloss Neideck, Heritage castle in Arnstadt, Germany.

Schloss Neideck is a former water castle in Arnstadt, now a ruin except for its 65-metre tower. Built between 1553 and 1560 in Renaissance style by Count Günther XLI of Schwarzburg, it had four regular wings and stood on the foundations of a Hersfeld abbots' castle first mentioned in 1273. The tower, a former belfry with a spire dated 1554, was restored in 1998/99 and is climbable.

Count Günther XLI of Schwarzburg built the castle between 1553 and 1560 in Renaissance style on the foundations of a Hersfeld abbots' castle first mentioned in 1273. The Dutch architect Gerhardt van der Meer designed four regular wings, modelled partly on Torgau, with sculptors from Simon Schröter's school. Johann Moritz Richter modernised it in 1694/95 and a castle chapel was consecrated in 1700. After Prince Anton Günther II died in 1716 the residence moved to Sondershausen; the castle stood empty, served as a stable, and its stones were taken for bridges before it partly collapsed in 1779.

On the castle grounds stands a 1:20 wooden model of Schloss Neideck, shown alongside other miniature buildings. In the nearby gardener's house, built around 1650, a 1:200 model depicts Arnstadt as it looked around 1740. The castle park, laid out in the 16th century, was among the largest of its kind; its Fish Gate with passage survives.

The castle is located in Schlosspark in central Arnstadt and is freely accessible. For more detailed information, visitors can contact the local tourism office, which arranges guided tours.

The tower's spire dates from 1554, and from 1620 Caspar Bach served as its guard for twelve years — the first of the Bach family in Arnstadt, who shaped the town's musical life for 119 years. The 65-metre tower was restored in 1998/99 and can be climbed.