Neuhaus Castle

Neuhaus Castle is a spur castle in the village of Neuhaus in the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab in the northern Upper Palatinate.

A striking feature of the castle is the so-called Butter Churn Tower, a freestanding tower that resembles one due to its massive base and narrow upper structure. Neuhaus Castle is not a classic knight's seat, but rather a fortified hunting lodge.

The castle was built around the year 1300 by Landgrave Ulrich I of Leuchtenberg. The castle was pledged several times to Waldsassen Monastery, first in 1328, until it was finally sold to the Waldsassen Monastery in 1515 by Landgrave Johann IV of Leuchtenberg. In 1614, the complex was restored and used by the monastery as the seat of a monastic judge. The use by the monastery continued until the secularization in 1803. In 1820, the market town of Neuhaus bought the building and subsequently used it as a municipal administration and schoolhouse. Today, the Waldnaabtal Museum is housed in Neuhaus Castle with its "Butter Churn Tower".