Schloss Merseburg, Renaissance castle in Merseburg, Germany

Schloss Merseburg is a castle in Merseburg that rises together with St. John and Lawrence Cathedral on a hill above the Saale River. The building combines different architectural styles and today houses the Saalekreis district administration, a music school, and a cultural history museum.

The construction was initiated in 1470 under Bishop Thilo von Trotha and replaced an earlier structure from the 13th century. This transformation marked an important moment in the development of the site as a religious and administrative center.

The Kulturhistorisches Museum, founded in 1906, occupies three floors covering 1,800 square metres and traces Merseburg's history from prehistory to the present, with a focus on the Baroque residence of the dukes of Saxe-Merseburg. Permanent displays also cover 19th- and 20th-century glass beadwork and a collection of historic and curious ignition devices and lighters.

The castle is easily reached from the lower part of the town since it sits atop the hill and is accessible by various paths or staircases. Visitors should keep in mind that some areas may not be freely accessible due to current use by the administration, so it makes sense to check accessibility beforehand.

In April 2013, parts of the castle served as a film set for George Clooney's "The Monuments Men". Another curiosity lies far from Merseburg: from 1893 Ewald von Ungern-Sternberg had a copy of the castle built at Haapsalu in Estonia, the Lindenhof, which was never completed and survives as a ruin.