Breitungen Castle, Medieval castle in Herrenbreitungen, Germany.

Breitungen Castle is a former Benedictine monastery converted into a Renaissance palace around 1560. The surviving west wing is a three-storey plastered sandstone building with spiral stair towers over a high cellar, next to the Romanesque basilica with its 28-metre tower. A separate Kornhaus has a hall over 30 metres long, and a natural stone wall encloses the former monastery garden and a pond.

The site began as a Benedictine abbey in the 12th century and was converted into a Renaissance residence around 1560 by Count Poppon XII of Henneberg. This transformation reflects the religious and social upheaval of that era in the region.

The castle blends monastic and noble architectural features that reveal how the place shifted from religious community to private residence. You can see this mix in the buildings from different periods standing side by side.

The privately owned castle has been undergoing restoration work since 2007, with certain sections closed to ensure proper conservation. Visitors should check ahead to learn which areas are open and what conditions to expect when arriving.

The basilica's 28-metre tower, the town's landmark, shelters the largest colony of jackdaws in southern Thuringia. When the church was renovated in 1993–94, work was scheduled around the many nesting sites for species protection. The birds still nest in the tower today.