The Albrechtsburg is a Late Gothic castle that dominates the town centre of Meissen in the German state of Saxony
The Albrechtsburg is a Late Gothic castle that dominates the town centre of Meissen in the German state of Saxony. It stands on a hill above the river Elbe, adjacent to the Meissen Cathedral.
By 929 King Henry I of Germany had finally subdued the Slavic Glomacze tribe and built a fortress within their settlement area, situated on a rock high above the Elbe river. This castle, called Misnia after a nearby creek, became the nucleus of the town and from 965 the residence of the Margraves of Meissen, who in 1423 acquired the Electorate of Saxony.
From 1464 Elector Ernest of Saxony ruled jointly with his younger brother Albert the Bold and both had the present-day castle erected from 1471 on. The masterpiece of court builder Arnold of Westphalia, it was constructed solely as a residence, not as a military fortress, the first German castle built for such a purpose. When the brothers divided the Wettin lands by the 1485 Treaty of Leipzig, the castle of Meissen fell to Albert. Though Albert's son Duke George the Bearded resided at the Albrechtsburg, it was soon superseded by Dresden Castle as the new seat of the Wettin Albertinian line.
In 1710 King Augustus II the Strong established the Royal-Polish and Electoral-Saxon Porcelain Manufactory (Königlich-Polnische und Kurfürstlich-Sächsische Porzellan-Manufaktur), which was the first European hard-paste porcelain manufacture, at the castle under the supervision of Johann Friedrich Böttger. Meissen porcelain was produced at the Albrechtsburg until manufacturing moved to its present location in 1863.
Cars can be parked by the Elbe River, with direct access to the castle via the castle stairs from Leipziger Straße and also from the foot of the castle hill in Meisastraße, where there is also a multi-level carpark and an elevator up to the castle.
- Ticket rates for the permanent exhibition: EUR 8.00
- Meissen Albechtsburg Castle and Meissen Porcelain Manufactory: EUR 14.00
- Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle and Meissen Cathedral: EUR 10.50
- Annual ticket: EUR 16.00
- Ticket rates for the permanent exhibition: EUR 4.00
- Meissen Albechtsburg Castle and Meissen Porcelain Manufactory: EUR 7.00
- Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle and Meissen Cathedral: EUR 5.50
- Reduced annual ticket: EUR 8.00
Reduced:
- Children aged between 6 and 15
- School students
- Apprentices
- Students
- People with disabilities
- Beneficiaries of unemloyment benefit or social welfare
- People doing federal voluntary service
- Holders of the Meissen Social Pass or the Culture Pass Elbe/Labe
- Members of ICOM, ICOMOS, the Association of German Art Historians, the Federal Association of German Tourist Guides, non-profit
- Holders of the Saxon Pass of Volunteers, each with valid proof
- 2 adults and up to 4 children: EUR 18.00
- 1 adult and up to 2 children: EUR 10.00
- Group rate (15 people and more): EUR 6.50 per person
- Group rate for school students (10 people and more): EUR 3.00 per person
- Annual ticket for families: EUR 36.00
- Children aged 5 or younger
- People visiting the castle on their birthday
- Accompanying adults of severly disabled people (entry »B« iin the disability pass)
- Tour guides
- Tour bus drivers accompanying a tour group
- 1 accompanying adult per 10 pupils
- Journalists for reporting purposes (valid identification required)
- Holders of the schloesserlandPASS
Photo permit - EUR 2.00
The Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle offers a wide range of rooms to rent. Any room displays its own charm. Rent the historical rooms and give your event a touch of nobility!
You would like to rent a room at the Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle? Or just ask a question? Our Head of Administration will be pleased to help:
Head of Administration
Katja Richter
+(49) 3521 47 07 - 13
Katja.Richter@schloesserland-sachsen.de