Schillingsfürst: Baroque Castle, Museums and Routes

Schillingsfürst can be explored through its history and a range of visitor interests: the baroque castle of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst as its landmark, museums with different focuses, and two routes connected to the town. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on the castle’s history, art and culture, or a pilgrimage or cycling route.

Castle History and Guided Tours

The baroque castle of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst is a landmark of Schillingsfürst. The castle museum brings the history of the German Empire under Wilhelm II to life. Paintings, ceiling murals, tapestries, furniture and porcelain also convey the importance of the Hohenlohe, Sayn-Wittgenstein and Radziwill families to the princely house. Guided tours of the castle museum are offered during opening hours and by request. Check the specific visiting times in advance if you would like to plan a guided tour.

Another historical focus in the castle is the Museum of the French Foreign Legion. It is the Legion’s only official museum outside France. The exhibition traces a historical timeline, from recruitment in Schillingsfürst in 1792 to the founding of the Légion étrangère in 1831. This makes a visit especially interesting if you would like to connect the Legion’s history with the place where its early recruits were enlisted.

Franz Liszt is also connected to Schillingsfürst: the Liszt Museum in the castle explores the composer’s friendship with Cardinal Gustav Adolf of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, whom Liszt visited in Schillingsfürst several times. The permanent exhibition focuses on a personal relationship, while the castle museum addresses broader historical contexts and the history of the princely house.

Museums Exploring Art, Language and Everyday History

The Ludwig Doerfler Museum preserves the life’s work of Schillingsfürst artist Ludwig Doerfler (1905–1992). It is also a cultural meeting place for temporary exhibitions, painters’ symposia, musical performances and readings by philosophers. A separate exhibition at the museum’s Haus der Heimat focuses on the heritage of the Yenish language. The museum brings together the work of an individual artist, changing cultural events and linguistic history.

The Brunnenhaus Museum offers a different perspective on the past. In the former rooms of the well keepers, you can discover the domestic culture of the farming population in the 19th century. The history of the water supply also includes the historic ox-powered water-lifting system: built in 1702, it supplied water to the castle of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst for centuries. Together, these two subjects reveal different aspects of everyday life and the castle’s water supply.

Built in 1902, the water tower stands out for its Wilhelmine lighthouse style. It served Schillingsfürst’s water supply until the 1970s. Inside, a spiral staircase passes motifs by French painter Michel Leroux on the way to the top. Its construction date, former function and design give the tower a distinct place alongside the museums devoted to castle and cultural history.

Pilgrimage Route and Cycle Path

The Via Romea offers a wide-ranging pilgrimage context: the route leads from Norway through Denmark and Stade near Hamburg to Rome, passing through Rothenburg, Schillingsfürst, Feuchtwangen and Dinkelsbühl, among other places. An association responsible for the route has revived and revitalized the original pilgrimage path. Schillingsfürst is thus part of a route connecting numerous places across long distances.

The 107-kilometre Wörnitz Cycle Route has a different scope. It begins at the source of the Wörnitz in Schillingsfürst, passes through Dinkelsbühl and follows the Wörnitz before ending in Wassertrüdingen. For planning purposes, the difference is clear: the Via Romea is a pilgrimage route that extends to Rome, while the Wörnitz Cycle Route is a specific distance with named starting and ending points. Check the latest details before your trip if you would like to include a route in your stay.

The Fürstlicher Falkenhof offers daily flight demonstrations, during which experienced falconers share information about the birds. The falconry centre is currently closed. Before travelling, check whether it has reopened and what programme details apply.

Discover more destinations: Diebach, Dombühl, Bechhofen, Petersaurach, Lehrberg, Triesdorf, Aurach, Geslau.

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