Schloss Fraunberg, Medieval water castle in Fraunberg, Germany
Schloss Fraunberg is a medieval water castle in the Bavarian town of Fraunberg, built with three stories of heavy stone construction and defensive walls. The entire complex is encircled by a double moat system that channels water from the Strogen River, creating a natural barrier around the central tower.
The fortress was built in the 13th century as a water castle and suffered significant damage during the Thirty Years War in the 1600s. Victor von Fraunberg oversaw its reconstruction in the mid-1600s, which reshaped the castle's appearance with new architectural features.
The interior rooms feature stucco ceilings from the 1680s that show how the local nobility decorated their living spaces, with details visible in multiple chambers. These ornamental elements give visitors a sense of the daily surroundings and taste of the family who occupied it.
The castle sits directly on the Strogen River, which supplies the moat system, so the surroundings are quite wet and green throughout the year. Visitors should be aware that moss on the walls can be slippery when wet, and sturdy shoes are a good idea for walking the grounds.
Buried beneath the current structure are archaeological remains from older buildings, showing that construction and rebuilding happened repeatedly at this location over time. These buried layers earned the site special dual heritage protection status in Bavaria.
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