Schloss Thurnau, Medieval castle in Thurnau, Germany

Schloss Thurnau is a castle complex in Thurnau, Bavaria, made up of several interconnected buildings from different centuries. The grounds include residential quarters, service buildings, and study spaces arranged around courtyards and garden areas.

The oldest part is the Kemenate, a 13th-century stone chamber built by the knights Förtsch on a sandstone rock reaching the third floor. When the Förtsch line died out in 1566, the castle passed jointly to the Künsberg and Giech families, who divided it in 1576. In 1731 the Giechs, counts since 1695, bought the Künsberg half and became sole owners.

The name Thurnau is linked to the knightly Förtsch family, who built the castle's oldest core. After the lineage died out in 1566, the Giech and Künsberg families shared the complex for 165 years, and their rivalry explains its size. A 1688 dispute escalated into a shooting in which a Künsberg servant died. When the Künsbergs sold their half in 1731, the Giechs kept all Künsberg coats of arms on the buildings.

The complex offers guest accommodations as well as rooms for events and conferences, so it can be visited at different times of year. Walking through the grounds is the best way to take in the different buildings and notice how they contrast with each other.

The gate passage between the Upper and Lower courtyards runs through the Storchenbäulein, a building whose name visitors often mistake for a stork reference. The two courtyards each have their own separate entrance from the town, and the Kemenate rises above both. Wooden covered walkways link the northeast round tower to the church and the Kemenate to the Hans-Georgen-Bau.