Wartburg

Wartburg

A castle on a hill of history

Above the town of Eisenach, in the forests of Thuringia in central Germany, rises the Wartburg — one of the most famous and historically important castles in the whole country. Founded nearly a thousand years ago, it has been the setting for legends, a great contest of poets, the home of a beloved saint, and, most famously, the refuge where Martin Luther changed the course of history. It is protected by UNESCO as a monument of European significance.

A medieval stronghold

According to legend the Wartburg was founded around 1067, and by the 1100s it had a fine Romanesque palace, parts of which still survive — among the best-preserved non-religious buildings of that age in Germany. The castle became the seat of the powerful landgraves of Thuringia and a centre of medieval culture.

By tradition, the Wartburg was the setting for the famous medieval "Contest of Minstrels", a legendary singing competition among the great poet-musicians of the age, later retold in Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser.

Saint Elizabeth

In the early 1200s the Wartburg was home to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a princess who married the landgrave of Thuringia and lived in the castle. Famous for her deep faith and her generous care for the poor and sick, she became one of the most beloved saints of the Middle Ages, and her story is woven into the castle's history.

Luther's refuge

The Wartburg's most world-changing moment came in 1521–22. The reformer Martin Luther had defied the Pope and the emperor and been declared an outlaw, his life in danger. To protect him, his supporters secretly brought him to the Wartburg, where he hid in disguise, growing a beard and calling himself "Junker Jörg".

During his months in a small room in the castle, Luther carried out one of the most important works in German history: he translated the New Testament of the Bible from Greek into German. His clear, powerful German helped shape the modern German language itself and put the Bible into the hands of ordinary people. The simple room where he worked can still be seen today.

A symbol of Germany

Because of all this history, the Wartburg became a powerful symbol of German culture and identity. In 1817, students gathered here for a famous festival calling for German unity and freedom. The castle was lovingly restored in the 1800s, and it remains a place of deep meaning for Germans and a major destination for visitors.

Visiting today

Visitors can tour the Romanesque palace and grand halls, see the room where Luther translated the Bible, and learn the stories of Saint Elizabeth and the legendary minstrels' contest. The wooded hilltop setting and views over Thuringia add to the experience. Storied, beautiful and woven into the history of faith, language and nation, the Wartburg is one of the most significant castles in all of Germany.