Wäscherschloss, Medieval fortress in Wäschenbeuren, Germany.

Wäscherschloss is a medieval castle in Wäschenbeuren, set on a hill above the Beutental valley with stone walls, towers, and fortified buildings arranged around a central courtyard. The restored complex now houses a museum that opens the site to visitors.

The castle was built between 1220 and 1250, and the earliest written record dates to 1271, when it appeared in a dispute between Lorch monastery and a local knight. Over the following centuries it passed through different hands before being restored and opened as a museum.

The name comes from the knight Konrad der Wascher, recorded in 1271, whose byname probably derives from the Waschbach stream in the Welzheim forest; in 1380 a Rechberg lord styled himself "Konrad zu Weschenburg", the first appearance of the present name. The castle was long the seat of an Austrian bailiff's office for Wäschenbeuren, and since 1977 it has stood on the Road of the Hohenstaufen.

The museum opens seasonally, so checking ahead before visiting is a good idea. The hillside location means the path up to the entrance involves some walking on uneven ground, which is worth keeping in mind.

The 2011 "Castle of the Year" title was celebrated at the Wäscherschloss on 28 May 2011, and the redesigned museum was inaugurated on 14 April 2011. Renovation work begun in September 2010 cost the state of Baden-Württemberg around 500,000 euros, adding glass partitions around the staircase, a rescue chute on the upper floor and a café on the ground floor.