Waldsee Castle

Waldsee moated castle is a moated castle built in the mid-16th century and converted in the Baroque style in the 18th century, located in the spa town of Bad Waldsee in the Ravensburg district. Today it is owned by the Princes of Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee.

In 1386, the dominion of Waldsee came into the possession of Johannes II von Waldburg, who had received it as a fief from Leopold III von Habsburg, the Austrian Duke. In 1488, Georg III von Waldburg-Zeil, also known as Bauernjörg due to his successes in the German Peasants' War, was born in the castle. In 1550, Georg IV von Waldburg-Waldsee had a new castle built, designed as a moated castle. This moated castle was expanded and converted in the Baroque style in 1745 under Maximilian von Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee, including the addition of a square chapel wing with a dome. In 1806, as a result of the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss (Principal Resolution of the Imperial Deputation), the dominion of Waldsee was transferred to the newly formed Kingdom of Württemberg. However, the castle remained in the possession of the Counts of Waldsee, who used it as a residence and as the seat of the princely rent office and forest administration. Today, the building is still owned by the Princes of Waldburg zu Wolfegg und Waldsee.

The castle complex consists of the castle in the north, which is connected to a chapel building and outbuildings in the south. The castle is a three-story building with a hip roof and two semicircular stair towers with conical roofs on the north and south sides. At the rear of the castle is a central risalit. The chapel building, which is connected to the southeastern corner of the castle, is a central building with a dome containing a fresco by Eustachius Gabriel. The complex also includes outbuildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The castle includes a castle garden, which was originally laid out in the style of a Baroque pleasure garden, but was converted into an English landscape garden in the 18th century.