Hotel
Museum
Restaurant
CastleDarmstadt-Kranichstein
Kranichstein Castle
Kranichstein Hunting Lodge is a building complex in the district of the same name in the north of Darmstadt. It was originally built starting in 1578 for Landgrave Georg I of Hesse-Darmstadt. The castle is one of the few preserved Baroque hunting lodges in Germany.
Today, the complex houses a hunting museum and a hotel with a restaurant.
Landgrave Georg I (1547–1596) had the three-winged Renaissance building constructed between 1578 and 1580 by his master builder Jakob Kesselhuth.
The hunting-enthusiastic Hessian Landgraves Ernst Ludwig (1667–1739) and Ludwig VIII (1691–1768) held hunting festivals here in the form of parforce hunts and "enclosed hunts". For this purpose, the then still functional building was adapted to the Baroque ideals of representation, elegance, and luxury.
Star-shaped clearings were cut in the surrounding forest for hunting. Ludwig VIII had the Baroque hunting lodge Dianaburg built in 1765, as part of the overall Kranichstein Castle complex and located about two and a half kilometers north of it.
For over 350 years, the complex was used for hunting by the Landgraves and later Grand Dukes of Hesse-Darmstadt. It only became a museum when the last Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig had all hunting equipment and corresponding accessories from all his castles and hunting lodges gathered here in 1917. Court Marshal Kuno Graf von Hardenberg set up the hunting museum.
The Hessian Jägerhof Foundation acquired the complex after the Second World War and finally reopened the museum in 1952, focusing on the Baroque period.
From 1988 to 1996, the castle was extensively renovated by the State of Hesse, the City of Darmstadt, and the Hessian Jägerhof Foundation. During this time, the original Renaissance design was restored on the ground floor.
In recent years, Kranichstein Hunting Lodge has enjoyed increasing popularity as a wedding venue for high earners. Joschka Fischer can be cited as an example.
Hunting Museum+
On the ground floor, the museum provides an overview of the history of hunting from its beginnings to the Baroque period. The focus is on courtly representation and hunting methods in the 18th century. Particularly impressive is the very extensive collection of weapons. Here, the development of hunting weapons can be traced in detail. This includes firearms such as muskets, air rifles, and crossbows, but also bladed weapons such as hunting daggers and boar spears.
On the upper floor, the courtly reception rooms are displayed in their Baroque splendor. In the corridors, the trophies are particularly impressive, especially the antlers of hunted deer mounted on wooden deer heads, with some curiosities among them. Hunting paintings, tapestries, and hunting accessories convey the atmosphere of a Baroque pleasure palace.
Attractions also include the stables and the castle chapel. The stables on the ground floor of the eastern wing of the castle were freed from numerous installations during the last renovation and now serve as a hall for concerts and other events.
The castle chapel was already established under Landgrave Georg I, known as the Pious. He stipulated that at least "half of the servants" had to regularly attend divine service. The interior is now characterized by the decorative stucco ceiling and two wooden galleries adorned with paintings.
Gastronomy+
One wing of the castle houses the Hotel Jagdschloss Kranichstein, a hotel with 15 rooms. In the adjacent Cavalier's Building, there is a restaurant with a garden terrace.
Regular Events+
Every summer, the Merck Philharmonic's garden concert takes place in the castle park. The 27th edition took place on July 19, 2014. It is based on the Last Night of the Proms and incorporates elements of Broadway.
Surroundings+
In the immediate vicinity of the castle is the Backhausteich (Bakehouse Pond), which is popular with those seeking recreation from Darmstadt and the surrounding area, both on foot and by bicycle.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://www.wehrbauten.de/thread.php?threadid=969
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 49.9003, 8.6975