Electoral Palace, Royal palace in Amberg, Germany

The Electoral Palace is a three-storey Renaissance building with a high voluted gable and a steep saddle roof, begun in 1417 and remodelled in 1603 by Johannes Schoch. Only the south wing, the Neues Schloss, survives from the original three-winged complex, and it now houses the Amberg-Sulzbach district office.

An Elector commissioned the palace construction in the early 15th century as a new residence. The Renaissance building that followed shaped Amberg's townscape and remains a landmark.

The palace reminds visitors of Amberg's role as a residence city for the Palatinate Electors. Today you can still see the grand architecture that reflected this political importance.

The palace sits directly by the river in central Amberg and is easy to reach on foot. Since the building operates as a government office, interior visits are not possible, but you can admire the exterior and surroundings anytime.

The Stadtbrille, a four-arched water gate building dated 1588, links the palace to the Zeughaus armoury across the Vils. After the 1454 Amberg uprising failed, the residence was fortified more strongly toward the town than toward the open country, an unusual arrangement.