New Castle Waldau

Waldau Castle, today called the New Palace, is a medieval castle in Waldau, a district of Vohenstrauß in the Upper Palatinate Forest.

The builder and first owner of the hilltop castle was the ministerial family of Waldau, who also built Schellenberg Castle. In the early 13th century, they first built the keep, and in 1350, they expanded it with the palas and added stories to existing buildings. In the 15th century, the Waldau family connected both building units with an intermediate structure.

After the Waldau family died out in 1545, the Wirsbergs acquired the complex. In the following centuries, the castle had changing owners. In the second half of the 17th century, the New Palace was built after parts of the castle had fallen into disrepair. In the 18th century, the keep and adjacent buildings were converted into the local church. In 1912, the village received a new church, and the castle has not been used since. Today, the castle is privately owned and can be visited on certain days.