Top 13 Castles around Oranienburg

The neo-baroque garden element was built by Count Philipp Conrad zu Eulenburg (1820 –1889) in the course of the palace renovations in 1876/77 in the central axis of the palace park. During this time, the entire park received decorative elements with terraces, fountains, sculptures and elaborate plantings in accordance with the taste of the time. More information at: https://www.dkb-stiftung.de/projekt/historischer-spaziergang/

The origins of the castle building in Liebenberg probably date back more than 500 years. In 1460, the diocese of Brandenburg sold the small town of Löwenberg, including Liebenberg, to the prominent von Bredow family from Brandenburg. After the end of the Thirty Years' War, the Prussian chief hunter Jobst Gerhard von und zu Hertefeld (1594-1659), who came from Kleve, bought the Liebenberg property with two houses in 1652. The Hertefelds settled Lower Rhine and Dutch families who were skilled at building dikes and canals and reclaiming the swampy landscape. Ludwig Casimir built the first one-story manor house between 1743 and 1747. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Karl Adolf Freiherr von und zu Hertefeld (1794-1867) led the property to new prosperity. He built a larger manor house on the site of the first building in 1833/1834, which became the starting point of the castle. He remained childless and bequeathed the Liebenberg properties to his great-niece, who was married to the East Prussian Count Philipp Conrad zu Eulenburg (1820-1889). Around 1875, he expanded the manor house to include a hall wing with a stair tower and a terrace facing the park. This expansion gave the building complex a castle feel for the first time. His son Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg from 1900, and Hertefeld (1847-1921), close friend and advisor of Kaiser Wilhelm II, added numerous representative buildings in a historicizing style to the palace complex. Among other things, a chapel was built as an extension of the hall wing and a courtyard branching off towards the church. With the relocation of the road that was once near the castle to its current course, a park-like and representative driveway with small hunters' houses was created, and the castle courtyard gate was built, on the pillars of which two lions were enthroned. The courtyard bar was probably destroyed by arson in 1945 and was only rebuilt in 2004 as an event and conference room. The T-shaped lock bar was spared from the fire, but was looted from 1945 onwards after the royal family fled and was expropriated. In 1946 Liebenberg became an SED school property. After 1989, the castle and estate were leased several times until it was acquired by the DKB STIFTUNG in 2005 for social commitment. It is based here and maintains Schloss & Gut Liebenberg in accordance with the principles of monument protection.

This is the area around Sommerswalde Castle and not a Lost Place, even if it makes the impression at first glance. The castle itself is the Tharpaland Kadampa Meditation Center: A center for meditation and modern Buddhism.

Nice café and a great castle garden

Liebenberg Castle is another highlight of the region and is located near the White Lake. The castle is a historic complex from the 14th century and has been repeatedly expanded and rebuilt over the centuries. Today the castle houses a hotel and offers its guests an unforgettable ambience. The castle is surrounded by an extensive park and offers a fantastic view of the White Lake. If you want to take a break from the hike, you can visit the castle and go on a journey through time. The castle museum shows numerous exhibits from bygone times and offers an insight into the history of the region.

We included the castle in one of our hikes. We walk through the park to the back of the estate with its functional buildings and the church. We are pleasantly surprised; everything has been largely restored and there are information boards describing the history everywhere. We discover the museum in the old Inspector House, the oldest surviving half-timbered building in the region, from 1698. We didn't find much about this in our preliminary research, but we are amazed at its scope. The story begins in 1267 with the first mention of Liebenberg. We were not prepared for the wealth of information. In another building we see the lapidarium, for which you can get a key. At least two hours must be planned for the park and museum.

The former manor house is situated on 1,900 hectares of parkland. In GDR times it was a SED model estate, after reunification it was released for sale along with the adjacent village. Today it is a hotel run by the DKB Foundation. The focus is on supporting educational projects, monument preservation, art and culture. People with disabilities can also find career prospects here.

Today the castle and the park is a popular place for conferences, wedding celebrations and you can also book beautiful rooms for a short break here. The restaurant is only open to house guests, but you can strengthen yourself and take a short break in the charming courtyard café. You can find information about Liebenberg Palace and Park here: https://www.schloss-liebenberg.de/.