Frauenstein Castle is a Renaissance manor house standing just below the ruins of the old hilltop fortress, in the small town of Frauenstein in the Ore Mountains of Saxony. It's a great stop for anyone who enjoys combining a stroll through picturesque ruins with a look into the history of the noble Schönberg family and their elegant, if understated, residence.

The building consists of two wings meeting at a right angle, topped by a distinctive round staircase tower with a Baroque cupola. The hilltop town, narrow streets leading up to the gatehouse, and slate-covered roofs all combine to create a genuinely medieval Saxon atmosphere. In autumn and winter the Ore Mountains around Frauenstein reveal their raw charm, while summer invites longer hikes through the surrounding countryside.

How to get there

• From the town centre of Frauenstein — a short walk up from the market square to the castle gate, about 10-15 minutes, easy route
• By car to parking near the town, then on foot through the gatehouse (Torhaus) into the castle courtyard

Practical information

• Built 1585-1588 by court architect Hans Irmisch for Heinrich von Schönberg
• Main portal decorated with the coats of arms of the Schönberg and von Einsiedel families and a figure of Cupid
• Formerly home to the local history museum and later the Gottfried Silbermann Museum (now relocated to a building on the market square)
• Since 2006 the castle has been owned by private investors

Fun fact: the entrance portal features a carving of Cupid, commemorating a marriage that united the two noble families — a charming, unusually playful detail on an otherwise sober Renaissance facade.