Greiz – Castle History, Textile Craft and Parkland

Greiz brings together the history of a princely residence, textile craft and a historic parkland. The castles offer different perspectives on the past: exhibitions tell the story of the Princes Reuss, while a textile demonstration workshop brings the manual production process to life. Greizer Park and the Summer Palace complement these themes with architecture and landscape.

History at the Upper and Lower Castles

Since 2010, the Upper Castle in Greiz has housed the permanent exhibition “From the Land of the Vogts to the Principality of Reuss Elder Line.” It explores the history of the Vogts, lords, Imperial Counts and Imperial Princes Reuss, as well as the small-state residential culture associated with them. The exhibition title thus traces the story through different forms of rule and the history of the princely residence.

The museum at the Upper Castle offers a multimedia experience of history, including a computer-animated account of the building’s history and an interactive journey through time. The Lower Castle houses a museum and a textile demonstration workshop. The museum presents the continuation of its exhibition in authentic rooms.

Established in 1998, the textile demonstration workshop showcases the production and history of the textile industry in Greiz. Children and adults can take part in the manual production process. Alongside learning about history, visitors can experience the craft firsthand.

The Summer Palace and Greizer Park

The Summer Palace was built as a summer residence for the Princes Reuss Elder Line and is one of the earliest Neoclassical buildings in Central Germany. It is located in the Princely Greiz Park on the banks of the White Elster. Greizer Park itself lies at the foot of the wooded Castle Hill. As a 19th-century landscape park, the entire grounds are designated a national cultural monument.

For visitors arriving on foot, there are specific distances to the Summer Palace: it is 550 metres from the Bruno-Bergner-Straße bus stop, 700 metres from the Puschkinplatz stop and one kilometre from Greiz railway station. Stop names and distances may change; check the information before your visit.

Cycling routes and outdoor experiences

In Ronneburg, the “Drachenschwanz” adventure bridge is 225 metres long and forms part of a long-distance cycling route. Its length and connection to the cycling route provide useful guidance when planning a trip around its waypoints. The BUGA supporting project “Paths into the New Landscape” comprises a network of high-quality cycling, horse-riding and hiking trails in the region. These different types of routes cater to different preferences, from cycling and horse riding to hiking.

The landscape of the Thuringian Vogtland also shapes the region: Greiz district lies in the Thuringian Vogtland, whose landscape features upland areas, narrow valleys with castles and palaces, plateaus, rock formations cut through by rivers, floodplains, rolling hills, forests and cultural landscapes. This regional context complements the individual cultural sites and trails with a broader view of the landscape.

Water activities and historic ensembles

In Wünschendorf, you can rent a rowboat for a fee at the gondola station in Cronschwitz and explore the White Elster. The Kanu-Scheune in Wünschendorf offers different activities: you can build your own boat and test whether it floats; tours in ready-made canoes are also available. Renting a rowboat, building a boat and canoe tours are different ways to enjoy the water.

Other historic destinations in the region include Mildenfurth Monastery and Castle. Together with the neighbouring Künstlerhaus and the sculpture garden of the artist couple Kühn, they now form an ensemble. Reichenfels Museum opened in 1950. These places add further examples of historic and cultural destinations in the region to Greiz’s castle history.

Discover more destinations: Bad Köstritz, Gera, Greiz, Großebersdorf, Schwarzbach, Zeulenroda-Triebes, Zadelsdorf, Kraftsdorf, Harth-Pöllnitz, Langenwolschendorf, Moschwitz, Hilbersdorf, Münchenbernsdorf, Mohlsdorf-Teichwolframsdorf, Steinsdorf, Ronneburg, Endschütz, Langenwetzendorf, Weida, Auma-Weidatal, Bocka, Hohenleuben, Hain.

For the broader travel overview: Thuringia.