Schillingsfürst: Castle, Museums and Cycle Path

Castle History and Special Collections

The Baroque castle of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst defines the town’s appearance. The castle museum brings to life the history of the German Empire under Wilhelm II as well as the significance of the Hohenlohe, Sayn-Wittgenstein and Radziwill families to the princely house of Schillingsfürst. Paintings, ceiling paintings, tapestries, furniture and porcelain offer insights into these subjects. Guided tours are offered to visitors of the castle museum during opening hours and by arrangement.

Another focus at the castle is the Liszt Museum. It explores the friendship between Franz Liszt and Cardinal Gustav Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, whom Liszt visited several times in Schillingsfürst. Those interested in music history will find a distinctive way to explore the town’s history here, alongside insights into the princely house.

The history of the French Foreign Legion is also connected with the castle. The Museum of the French Foreign Legion at Schillingsfürst Castle is the Legion’s only official museum outside France. It traces the Legion’s origins from recruitment in Schillingsfürst in 1792 to the founding of the Légion étrangère in 1831. This allows visitors to follow a historical arc from a specific event in Schillingsfürst to the founding of the Legion.

Art, Language and Life in Times Past

The Ludwig Doerfler Museum preserves the life’s work of Schillingsfürst artist Ludwig Doerfler (1905–1992). As a cultural meeting place, it offers a variety of events and formats: temporary exhibitions, painters’ symposiums, musical performances and readings by philosophers. The Museum of the Jenisch Language in the House of Homeland, part of the Ludwig Doerfler Museum, complements the offering. Its exhibition is devoted to the heritage of the Jenisch language. Art, music, philosophy and the history of language thus stand side by side as distinct themes for a cultural stay.

The Brunnenhaus Museum focuses on the history of technology and everyday life. The historic ox-treadmill was built in 1702 and supplied water to the castle of the Princes of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst for centuries. The former rooms of the well keepers also offer a glimpse of the living conditions of the rural population in the 19th century. A visit therefore brings together a former water supply system and a look at how people lived in a different era.

Another building with a history of its own is the water tower, built in 1902 in the Wilhelminian lighthouse style. It served Schillingsfürst’s water supply until the 1970s. Inside the brick tower, a spiral staircase passes murals by French painter Michel Leroux all the way to the top. This combination of architectural history and art offers a different perspective from the collections in the castle and museums.

On the Pilgrimage Route or Cycle Path

Schillingsfürst lies on the Via Romea, a pilgrimage route from Norway through Denmark and Stade near Hamburg to Rome. The route passes through Rothenburg, Schillingsfürst, Feuchtwangen and Dinkelsbühl. The association responsible has revived the original pilgrimage route. The route places the town within a much longer journey; those interested in pilgrimage routes can therefore also explore Schillingsfürst from this perspective.

For cycling holidaymakers, the 107-kilometre Wörnitz Cycle Path begins in Schillingsfürst at the source of the Wörnitz. It passes through Dinkelsbühl, follows the Wörnitz and ends in Wassertrüdingen. Its total length provides a concrete point of reference for planning your trip without requiring you to commit to a particular stage length. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider whether you want to delve deeper into the town’s cultural attractions or plan your trip more around the cycle path.

For more places to explore, you can also find Dombühl and Diebach here. Other places: Unterschwaningen, Weidenbach, Gebsattel, Insingen, Herrieden and Langfurth.

For the higher-level travel overview: Ansbach.