One of the sights and landmarks of the former royal seat of Öhringen, whose roots date back to Roman times, is the castle. It was built in 1611 in Renaissance style according to the plans of Georg Kern, master builder to the Counts of Hohenlohe. Originally, Öhringen Castle served as the widow’s residence of Countess Magdalena von Hohenlohe. In the course of history, it became the princely seat and residence of the House of Hohenlohe. The oldest part of the castle, the Lange Bau, was built between 1611 and 1616. After suffering damage during the Thirty Years’ War, the castle was repaired. Between 1681 and 1683, the stables were added. Stables for 30 horses were built on the ground floor. Between 1714 and 1715, the arcades on the courtyard side, the corridors built above them, and a mansard roof were added. This was followed by the construction of the coach house with a Rococo library and open staircase in the castle courtyard between 1770 and 1775. Between 1813 and 1814, a classicist building for the crown prince was added and the open staircase to the courtyard garden was redesigned. A fundamental renovation of the state rooms of the Blue Hall, the dining room, and the White Hall was carried out in 1847. A year later, in 1848, the princely family moved their residence to Slawentzitz in Upper Silesia. It was not until 1945, after losing his possessions there, that August zu Hohenlohe-Öhringen returned with his family to the south wing of Öhringen Castle. He lived there until his death in 1962. In 1961, the town of Öhringen acquired the castle and the courtyard garden and renovated it extensively between 1976 and 1987. Today, the castle is home to the town administration. The historic rooms, such as the Blue and White Halls, the Landscape Room designed by the court painter Schillinger, and the huge vaulted cellar, serve as event locations. Öhringen Castle, located in the historic town center, with its huge guild tree in front of the castle facade, is really worth seeing. I reached the picturesque castle courtyard with its magnificent fountain through an archway. The courtyard side revealed the octagonal spiral staircase tower with a cellar neck leading to the 120-meter-long castle cellar. Until 2009, this was used by the castle winery of the Prince of Hohenlohe-Öhringen for wine production. From the magnificent castle courtyard, an open staircase leads to the baroque courtyard garden, a green oasis in the middle of the city, which together with the castle forms a wonderful ensemble of local recreation and excursion destination.
