Oldenburg Castle

Oldenburg Castle is a palace with multiple wings arranged around an inner courtyard, reflecting different building periods from its long development. The rooms now house a museum displaying artworks and historical objects from the Lower Saxony region.

The fortress began around 1100 as a strategic stronghold built by the Counts of Oldenburg to watch over important trade routes between Westphalia and East Frisia. Over centuries it was repeatedly rebuilt and transformed from a defensive structure into a residential palace.

The State Museum for Art and Cultural History within the castle walls displays collections of decorative arts and regional artifacts from Lower Saxony.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and offers guided tours through preserved rooms with period furnishings. The best time to visit is in the morning outside peak hours, when fewer visitors are present.

The original medieval structure stood on wooden stilts because the ground was marshy and required special foundation support. This construction method allowed the fortress to remain stable in that wet environment.

Location: Oldenburg

Founders: Anthony Günther, Count of Oldenburg

Architectural style: Renaissance Revival architecture

Address: Schloßplatz 1, 26122 Oldenburg

GPS coordinates: 53.13780,8.21667

Latest update: December 8, 2025 13:40