Harburg Castle

Harburg Castle sits on a steep rocky spur above the Wörnitz river at the south-eastern entrance to the Nördlinger Ries. It is considered one of the largest, oldest and best-preserved castles in southern Germany, covering more ground even than the Hohenstaufen imperial palace at Wimpfen. Because it was never destroyed, you see Hohenstaufen towers, covered wall-walks and Baroque princely rooms in a single complex.

History: from the Hohenstaufen to the Oettingens

The spur, at 480 m, has always controlled the route through the Wörnitz valley. The first secure mention dates from 1150: the 13-year-old Hohenstaufen Henry wrote to his aunt, the Byzantine Empress Irene, that he was staying at Harburg. The two keeps, the great hall and the curtain wall date from this period. King Conrad IV stayed here in 1239.

In 1299 King Albert I pledged the castle to the Counts of Oettingen, and in 1418 it became their property. From 1493 to 1549 it served as a residence. Count Karl Wolfgang introduced the Reformation in 1524, making the castle church of St. Michael the first Protestant pulpit in the Ries. In the Thirty Years' War almost every castle in the area was destroyed, but not Harburg. Since 2000 it has belonged to the non-profit Prince of Oettingen-Wallerstein Cultural Foundation.

What to see

• Diebsturm and Faulturm: the two keeps from the 12th and 13th centuries. At the base the walls of the Diebsturm are 3 m thick, half built of rusticated ashlar.
• Wall-walk and outer ward: the covered 15th-century wall-walk has arrow slits and murder holes through which defenders could pour quicklime or pitch.
• Castle well: once 129 m deep, reaching down to the level of the river. Raising one bucket meant working a treadwheel for over half an hour. Today the shaft is 48 m deep.
• Castle church of St. Michael: developed from the Romanesque chapel, with larger-than-life funerary figures of the Counts of Oettingen-Oettingen.
• Princes' Building: an exhibition of more than 150 items by the artist Rudolf Warnecke, including views of the Romantic Road and his grand piano.

Opening hours and prices (2026 season)

• Season: 14 March to 8 November 2026, daily 10:00–17:00.
• Courtyard admission: adults €3.50, children from 3, pupils and students €2.50.
• Castle tour: every hour on the hour, 60 minutes, €5 on top of admission, reduced €2.50. Afterwards the Warnecke exhibition is free.
• Special tours: night tours and extended tours for groups of 15 or more, by arrangement.

Getting there and tips

Free car parks lie behind and below the castle, about a 5-minute walk up. Harburg is on the Romantic Road, about 15 km south-east of Nördlingen. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the courtyard and a tour. The castle has a restaurant and hotel rooms. Almost 68,000 people visited in 2025, so arrive early on summer weekends.