Zwernitz Castle

The medieval Zwernitz Castle is one of the oldest castles that can be found on the territory of the Bavarian province in Germany. The medieval jewel is on a small scale at 500 meters altitude in the area of the beautiful sloping in the Alps. Zwernitz Castle is located near the northern Bavarian town of Bayreuth.

Beginning as a seat of the Upper Franconian Walpodes, medieval Zwernitz Castle was first mentioned back in 1156. Two centuries later, from 1338 to 1810, the castle was owned by the ruler of the Hohenzollern family and then passes within the Bavarian kingdom.

Parts of the lower part of the complex of the castle were added about 2 centuries later ad beautiful gardens were designed. The migratory gardens of the castle were created by Margrave Friedrich of Bayreuth and his wife - Margravine Wilhelmine. They turn the space into a horticultural paradise, as if out of a literary narrative. The park and its decoration was characterized by exceptional ingenuity of those times.

Only the Zwernitz Castle holds a remarkable dominance over the tower, which is original from the Roman complex, built sometime around 1200. Its height is about 35 meters. The tower of the Zwernitz Castle connects to the lower and higher parts of the castle, but only the base is part of the oldest fortress in this place. The upper part is an extension of the 18th century.

Today the medieval castle offers a magnificent view of the surrounding hills in the area. The castle is open for public visits from April to September every day except Monday.

Inside is an an interesting exhibition of weapons, many authentic furniture, and a historical museum, telling the history of the castle.