Eutin Castle
Alongside Gottorf Castle near Schleswig and GlĂĽcksburg Castle near Flensburg, Eutin Castle is one of the most significant and best-preserved courtly secular buildings in the Baltic Sea holiday region of Schleswig-Holstein. The present-day castle grew out of a medieval fortress and was gradually expanded in numerous stages. Initially owned by the Prince-Bishops of LĂĽbeck, it later passed into the possession of the Dukes of Oldenburg. The castle stood uninhabited for almost two centuries before the ducal family transferred it to the Eutin Castle Foundation, established in 1992.
Dating from the 13th century and situated directly on Lake Eutin, the castle was rebuilt in its present form following a fire in 1689. The four-winged brick building faces the Castle Square and the town with its grand façade. A central gabled tower and two further towers at the outer ends rise above the complex, which is surrounded by a moat.
Schloss Eutin
Photo: © C Wiki Nordenfan CC-BY SA 4.0
In the 18th century, the castle park was one of the largest Baroque gardens in Schleswig-Holstein. It was later redesigned in the style of an English garden. Here, Prince Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, a grandson of Peter the Great who later became Tsar of Russia, met his future wife, Sophie Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg. She challenged him for the Russian throne and went down in history as Catherine the Great. In the 19th century, the castle and its grounds were remodelled in the neoclassical style. At the same time, they became the occasional workplace of renowned German artists such as Carl Maria von Weber and Friedrich Wilhelm Klopstock.
Today, Eutin Castle serves as a museum. The exhibition showcases life at the princely court over the past centuries. The ship models, a gift from a tsar to the ducal house, are particularly impressive. During the summer months, the castle is open for guided tours. The largely preserved original furnishings and artworks offer an authentic glimpse into the everyday life of the ducal household in the past. Also well worth seeing are the neoclassical Castle Square and the small hunting lodge on Lake Uklei.
Eutin Castle Foundation
23701 Eutin
Telephone +49 (0) 4521 7095-0
