Hirschberg Castle, Medieval castle in Beilngries, Germany
Hirschberg Castle is a fortified complex in Beilngries, in the Altmühl Valley, made up of residential towers, a gatehouse flanked by two Romanesque towers, a chapel, and service buildings arranged around a central courtyard. The whole complex sits on a hill above the town and is enclosed by a medieval ring wall with a defensive walkway along the top.
The fortress passed into the hands of the prince-bishops of Eichstätt in the early 14th century, and they expanded it gradually over the following centuries. In the 18th century the interiors were thoroughly remodelled, and the rooms received decoration in Baroque and Rococo styles.
The castle served as a residence for the prince-bishops of Eichstätt and was later used as a hunting lodge, and traces of both uses are still visible in the rooms today. The shift from a bishop's seat to a hunting retreat left behind a mix of formal and informal spaces that visitors can observe on guided tours.
The castle stands on Hirschberger Strasse and the exterior walls and courtyard can be visited freely at any time. Access to the interior rooms is usually only possible during special events or guided tours, so it is worth checking the schedule in advance.
The two Romanesque towers that now flank the gatehouse are the oldest parts of the whole complex and date from before the bishops took ownership. Rather than being torn down, they were incorporated into the later building works and now stand at the entrance as the oldest surviving fabric of the site.
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