Veitshöchheim Palace

Veitshöchheim Palace (Schloss Veitshöchheim) is the former summer retreat of the prince-bishops of Würzburg, set in one of Europe's finest surviving Rococo gardens. Located about 5 miles (8 km) down the Main River from Würzburg in northern Bavaria, the small yellow-and-white palace is easy to combine with a visit to the UNESCO-listed Würzburg Residence. Come for the elegant rooms, but stay for the garden, its lakes and its crowd of playful sandstone statues.

Why It Matters

The palace began as a hunting lodge, rebuilt in 1680–82 for Prince-Bishop Peter Philipp von Dernbach. Between 1749 and 1753 the great Baroque architect Balthasar Neumann, who also designed the Würzburg Residence, enlarged it and gave it its distinctive mansard roof. After the prince-bishopric ended, the palace passed to the Bavarian crown in 1814, and the royal family used it as a summer home through the 19th century. Its upper-floor rooms have been a museum since the early 1930s; a full restoration was completed in 2005.

The Rococo Court Garden

The garden, laid out from 1702 and reshaped from 1763 under Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim, is the real highlight. Sculptor Ferdinand Tietz, considered the leading German garden sculptor of his day, created many of the figures, with later groups by Johann Peter Wagner. Today the 12.5-hectare (31-acre) park holds around 300 sandstone sculptures, hedge "rooms," arbors, pavilions and a grotto. Don't miss:

• The Great Lake with Mount Parnassus, a sculpted island of the Muses.
• The fountains, which run daily from April to October on the hour between 1 and 5 p.m.
• The garden history exhibition on the palace's ground floor.

Tickets and Opening Hours

As of October 2026, the palace is open April–September 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and from October to November 8, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (last entry 30 minutes before closing), closed Mondays and closed November 9 through March. The historic upper-floor rooms can only be seen on a 30-minute guided tour in German (max. 15 people); fall tours start at 11 a.m., noon, 2 and 3 p.m. A combined ticket costs €6 (reduced €5), visitors under 18 enter free. The garden is free and open year-round from 8 a.m. until dusk (8 p.m. at the latest). A paid audio guide app for the garden is available.

How to Get There

• By train: Veitshöchheim has its own station, aligned with the palace axis, on the regional line from Würzburg Hauptbahnhof. Würzburg is a major ICE hub with direct trains from Frankfurt, Nuremberg and Munich, and the Deutschlandticket covers the regional leg.
• By bus: From Würzburg to the "Kirchplatz" stop.
• By boat: Excursion boats sail down the Main from Würzburg in season.
• By car: Parking is available by the river.

Is It Worth Visiting?

If you are already in Würzburg, absolutely. A visit takes 1.5 to 3 hours, making it a perfect half-day trip, and the garden alone is a free, relaxing walk any time of year. Time your arrival for a fountain show and one of the guided tours.