Neuschönfels Palace is a lesser-known but charming Renaissance manor house in the village of Schönfels in the Saxon Vogtland, standing quietly in the shadow of the more famous castle on the hill above. Built in 1550 after the Weißbach brothers divided their family estate, it still holds distinctive architectural details worth a closer look during a countryside walk.

The entrance is guarded by two low, round towers with arrow slits forming a kind of bridgehead, while the southwestern corner is adorned with a richly decorated, partially preserved round oriel in the early Renaissance style — comparable to the ornamentation developed at the same time at the Georgentor in Dresden. Inside, sandstone door frames and wooden ceilings from the period survive. The manor sits amid the gentle hills and forests of the Vogtland countryside, making it a pleasant destination in any season — autumn brings colourful woods nearby, while winter snow highlights the building's austere lines.

How to get there

• Zwickau — via the main road towards Reichenbach im Vogtland, about 10 km, by car or bus line 181 to the Schönfels stop
• Lichtentanne railway station (S5 line) — about 3 km away, then on foot or by bus

Practical information

• The palace is currently under renovation (as of October 2021)
• During GDR times the building served as a kindergarten, municipal office, savings bank, library and post office
• The more famous Burg Schönfels, with its museum and restaurant, stands nearby

An interesting detail is that the 1548 division of the estate created two separate manors — Altschönfels and Neuschönfels — which developed independently for centuries, leaving behind today's fascinating contrast of two noble residences within a single village.