Friedrichsruhe Castle

In 1712, the construction of the hunting lodge began under Count Johann Friedrich II, later Prince of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein. He had further buildings erected in the vicinity of the castle. These were arranged symmetrically to the castle, including a hunter's house and several other farm buildings, only some of which are still preserved. The former inn Grüner Baum was renovated and redesigned; today it houses the Jägerstube restaurant of the hotel.

The hunting lodge was completed in 1717 and served as a guesthouse for the princely family. The surrounding forests offered ample opportunities for hunting, horseback riding, and excursions into nature. From the former estate, which was dissolved to finance the castle's construction, ten farmhouses were created, their houses aligned along the central axis towards the castle. In 1764, Tiergarten was renamed Friedrichsruhe; at that time, the settlement comprised 21 residential and thirteen outbuildings.

In 1783, a pleasure garden was added to the complex around the hunting lodge. For this purpose, a piece of forest was cleared and laid out like a park. Around 1799, about 72 people lived in Friedrichsruhe. Fruit growing became very important for the livelihood of the inhabitants at that time. Until 1812, Friedrichsruhe was an independent municipality of the Patrimonialamt Michelbach, after which Friedrichsruhe belonged to the municipality of Zweiflingen.

While the hunting lodge was used as a guesthouse, the Princes of Hohenlohe resided in the nearby Neuenstein Castle. Later, the hunting lodge was also used as a residence for the princely family. In 1848, the Öhringen princely house moved its residence to Slawentzitz in Silesia.

After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the castle was sold to the German Labor Front and was to be converted into a recreation home, but World War II thwarted this plan. During the war, the building was used as a warehouse and arms depot and remained undamaged.

After almost 100 years, the princely family returned to Öhringen around 1950 and decided to use the castle and the surrounding farm buildings as a hotel. In 1953, a small castle hotel was built, which was expanded with an annex in 1963. In 2005, the Würth Group bought the area. Today, the Wald- & Schlosshotel is a 5-star luxury hotel with 66 rooms and suites. At the end of 2008, a spa belonging to the castle hotel was opened in the immediate vicinity.