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Wartburg Germany - importance to German history

The Wartburg Castle near Eisenach was founded by Count Ludwig der Springer in 1067, since then events on the Wartburg in Germany had tremendous impact on German history. It is said to be one of the most important historical castles of Germany and has been nominated by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1999.

A draw bridge is the only access to the Wartburg in Germany, which is perched on a hill above Eisenach, as impressive pictures of Wartburg Castle show. Here you find a mix of buildings of different epochs with partly originally kept halls, containig treasures like tapestries, paintings of Lucas Cranach and furniture.

The interior of Wartburg Castle can only be viewed on guided tours, where you learn a lot about Luther and other famous inhabitants of the Wartburg Germany.
At age four Elisabeth of Hungary was sent to the Wartburg and became consort of Ludwig IV of Thuringia. She is said to have made charitable miracles happen so she was canonized after her early death - nowadays her Bower (Kemenate) at the Wartburg Castle and a modern musical reminding on her.
The guided tour also passes the Singers' Hall, venue of the legendary minstrels' contest in the Middle Ages, Wolfram von Eschenbach und Walther von der Vogelweide among them.

But the guided tour through the Wartburg Castle would not be complete without the Luther room.
In advice of his friend Melanchthon, Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Latin into German language in just eleven weeks. Together with the Old Testament it was later published as the Luther Bible. His achievement was not only the translation - using metaphors Luther made the content accessible to ordinary people. So we still use phrases going back on his work like 'A wolf in sheep's clothing' or 'A book of seven seals'.
For more infos on Luther and Wartburg Castle visit the Luther House in Eisenach.

Wartburg Germany - information and attractions of Wartburg Castle and around

Luther at Wartburg Castle, the Luther room of Wartburg Castle (Lutherstube) is the place, where Martin Luther translated the Bible and is said to have thrown his inkwell at the devil.

• Tour through Wartburg Castle: After the Palas with the 40 m long Knights' Hall and the dining room you see the former armoury. Then you pass the Elisabeth Bower, the landgrave's room and the Singers' Hall - the venue of minstrels' contest, which became famous in Richard Wagner's opera "Tannhäuser and the minstrels' contest at Wartburg Castle".
• History Wartburg Germany: Luther's Room (Lutherstube) is part of the guided tour through Wartburg Castle. His modest study is almost kept originally and you can see the mark on the wall where he is said to have thrown his inkwell at the devil - have a look at the slideshow pictures of Wartburg.


The Wartburg of Germany was venue of the minstrels' contest. Here in the Singers' Hall the minstrels' contest of Wartburg Castle took place in the Middle Ages.

• Luther at Wartburg Castle: Because of Luther's reformatory writings and break with the church he was put under papal ban. Excommunicated and outlawed he was taken to the Wartburg Germany for his safety, where he lived incognito in disguise under the assumed name of 'Squire Jörg' from 1521-22 at the Wartburg in Germany.
• Wartburg Germany with children: Half way to the Wartburg Castle is a donkey station for kids to ride to the parking place (20 min). Exciting things are waiting: cannon to touch or the dungeon in the South Tower, which can be climbed for a nice view over the sights around Wartburg Germany, like the Thuringian Forest. s. pictures Wartburg.


Near Wartburg Castle, in Erfurt Martin Luther entered the convent, was ordained as a priest and taught at the university.

• Day trips from Wartburg Castle near Eisenach: If you have visited Eisenach a day trip to Erfurt (45 min by car) with a detour to the castles 'Drei Gleichen' would be a great idea. Or make a trip from the Wartburg of Germany to the city Weimar, just one hour away from the Wartburg Castle.