Schloss Detmold, Renaissance castle in Detmold, Germany.
Schloss Detmold is a four-winged Renaissance castle in the center of Detmold, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has a central keep with multi-storey oriel windows and a parapet decorated with the family coats of arms of the counts of Lippe.
A castle documented in 1366, Detmold was rebuilt from 1549 under Bernhard VIII by Jörg Unkair, continued by Johann Robyn and Cord Tönnis, and completed in 1673 under Simon Heinrich. Bernhard VII made it his permanent residence in 1468 after Cologne's mercenaries destroyed it in 1447.
The castle houses a museum of the regional government and a library holding the archives of the House of Lippe. The building remains the property of the princely family, and the head of the House of Lippe still lives in it today.
The castle is only accessible through guided tours, which vary depending on the season. It is worth checking opening times in advance, as availability may be more limited in winter.
The castle's four stair towers in the courtyard corners carry dates: the two eastern ones by Jörg Unkair are marked 1550 and 1551. Before 1550, castles of this four-wing type existed only in Paderborn and Dresden, making Detmold an early example.
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