Scheffel Castle

The so-called Scheffelschlösschen is a castle on the Mettnau peninsula near Radolfzell am Bodensee in the Konstanz district of Baden-Württemberg.

The poet Joseph Victor von Scheffel spent the summer with his family on the Mettnau peninsula since 1869. After being ennobled, he acquired the Mettnau estate in 1876 and converted the old vineyard tenant's house into a castle. In 1872, he had already commissioned the construction of Villa Seehalde on Mettnau. The design for the "Scheffelschlösschen" in the Neo-Renaissance style came from the architect Karl von Grossheim, who, with his partner Heinrich Joseph Kayser, managed the "Office for Architecture and Art Industry," one of the most successful architectural firms in the German Empire. Since 1928, a Scheffel Museum was located on the ground floor of the two-story building with a striking corner tower; since 1966, it has been the seat of the spa administration. A small exhibition in the hallway displays various editions of Scheffel's works. The fireplace room and various ceiling paintings are still preserved in their original state. Due to its official use, the building can only be visited to a limited extent.