Friedenstein Castle in Gotha

Art treasures meet the past: exhibitions at Friedenstein Castle

The duke's successors were liberal and as devoted to progress as he was. They collected treasures and paid homage to art and science. Essentially, the castle ensemble has remained intact over the centuries, and today Gotha is home to Germany's largest Early Baroque castle complex, which has preserved archives, a library, state rooms dating from around 1710 and chambers from the Classicist period. The castle also houses four museums; whether it’s art, history or nature, there is a lot to discover at Friedenstein Castle. The castle museum is part of the historic complex dating back to 1643. Artfully designed rooms from the Baroque, Rococo and Classicist periods take castle visitors on a breathtaking journey into past eras and provide an authentic backdrop for collection items from the Ducal Art Chamber. In addition to historic pieces of furniture, precious clocks and porcelain from Meissen, Gotha or Asia, you can also marvel at one of the largest coin cabinets in Germany. Further art treasures are kept in the Ducal Museum, which is located to the south of the castle grounds. The magnificent museum building was erected at the end of the 19th century. It stands for the artistic sensibility, the interest in research and the enthusiasm for collecting of the Gotha dukes, who turned their residence into a court of the muses. Among the absolute highlights of the museum are the works of Old German masters (including the "Gotha Lovers", Dürer, Schongauer and Cranach), the sculptures by Jean-Antoine Houdon or the paintings by Rubens and Caspar David Friedrich. The Historical Museum illustrates the history of Gotha and the Gotha region; above all, it also shows the everyday life of the citizens, thus meaningfully complementing the splendor of the historical castle rooms. The historical collection of the Museum of Nature still bears witness to the great scientific interest of the dukes. A highlight is the Ekhof Theater, built in the west tower of the castle between 1681 and 1687. It is the only theater worldwide with a still functioning stage machinery from 1683. Visitors to the Summer Ekhof Festival have the opportunity to admire the authentic technology.

Breathtaking gardens invite you to linger

Friedenstein Castle is surrounded by a spacious park landscape, which was laid out in 1770 by order of Ernst II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The baroque orangery with the summer castle Friedrichstal is one of the oldest English gardens on the continent and offers stunning views all year round. Majestic trees, which have surrounded the castle complex for centuries, artfully created lakes and enchanted paths invite nature-loving visitors to take a stroll. Together with the 19th-century fir garden, the garden landscape forms a broad green belt around the castle. *The name comes from the writer Reinhold Schneider.