Castle Hotel Münchhausen

Most Famous Guest: Czar Peter the Great of Russia.

Schlosshotel Münchhausen is a classically beautiful 5 Star Castle Hotel near Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, with extremely high levels of comfort and service.

It comes with top of the range facilities too; a spa & beauty treatment centre, a swimming pool, a Michelin Star winning restaurant, and its own park which has a lake and an 18 hole golf course.

The castle dates back to the 16th century and has an enviable location in the peaceful, green Weserbergland Schaumburg-Hameln Nature Park.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

There is a choice 67 stylish rooms and suites, 31 of which are in the castle itself and 36 in the adjoining Tithe Barn. All the suites and rooms are relatively modern in style, the ones in the converted barn slightly more so, which might disappoint those seeking a more traditional castle stay atmosphere but it is a five star hotel and the quality and comfort on offer are hard to beat.

All of them are luxuriously large with their terrific suites being up to 77 square meters in size, and both they and the rooms will have seating, writing desks, spacious bathrooms and super comfortable Treca mattresses, plus the usual facilities such as mini bar, flat screen TV, WiFi etc.

The castle is full of medieval atmosphere and has a great collection of antiques and Renaissance art pieces dotted around, which an extra touch of class to the place. It is also as famous for its food as its accommodation.

You have a choice between the Michelin Star Gourmet Restaurant ran by head chef Achim Schwekendiek which has a range of Haute cuisine à la Française with more than a touch of the Mediterranean, and the atmospheric Castle Cellar Restaurant (Schlosskeller) which has an outdoor dining terrace open in summer and offers traditional German and international cuisine.

You can enjoy also enjoy coffee, snacks and aperitifs in a relaxed atmosphere of the Knight’s Hall’s Rittersaal Lobby and later a cocktail or two at the cozy Castle Bar.

The 18 hole golf course is a further asset at the castle and so too the spa and beauty centre which offers a whole manner of pampering as well as an indoor swimming pool. You may also find yourself just wandering around the beautifully kept grounds and soaking in the peace and tranquility of the surrounding nature.

THE LOCATION: 

Castle Hotel Münchhausen is less than an hour’s drive from Hanover, Lower Saxony and very close to the pretty, and historical, town of Hamelin by the River Weser, where the legend of the Pied Piper (of Hamelin, to give it its full title) was born. It is a wonderful place to stroll around with small quaint streets and lots of those classic medieval era half timbered houses.

Hämelschenburg Palace is another nice day out nearby as is Corvey Abbey, or indeed any of the other so called Seven Castles in Leine. So too is the Royal House of Schaumburg-Lippe with its park, mausoleum and famous Royal Riding School. 

There is much nature to be enjoyed in this area also; you can wander the Weserbergland Schaumburg-Hameln Nature Park, spend some time hiking or biking (bike hire is available at the castle) around the Weser Highlands or take a boat trip along the Weser River.

The staff generally, and of course the concierge at the castle will have plenty of tips and advice about the area and can also help with organizing all sorts of trips and excursions.

By car, as mentioned, the journey from Hanover should take less than an hour, while Dortmund, Münster and Bremen should are all about an hour and a half away. There is a train station at Hamelin which can bring you to and from Hanover in 45 minutes and comfortable transfer services can be arranged by the castle staff.

SOME HISTORY:

The date isn’t entirely certain but it is believed that the castle was built in 1570 by a local noble by the name of Hilmar von Münchhausen. It has of course been renovated and updated frequently since then but what you see today, externally, is pretty much how it stood back then, in the 16th Century.

During the 17th and 18th century the gardens at Münchhausen gained a reputation for the successful cultivation of many quite unusual plants, most notably pineapples, which in those days would have been hopelessly exotic for the average European. Even Tsar Peter the Great of Russia who stayed here during the 17th century, was reported to have been overawed by the sight, and taste, of pineapple and some of the other exotic fruits on display.

They don’t grow pineapples any more but it would became the logo of the castle and you will see it represented at different locations in the castle and around the grounds.

In 1750 work was done on the gardens to convert them into the English Style (as you can still see today). This was something which would become quite fashionable with the continental European nobility in later years but the gardens at Münchhausen are said to be the very first.

The hotel venture is relatively new for Castle Münchhausen, major work was done in 2004 when Fredrich Popken bought the estate and set about creating the 5 Star hotel we see today. It received its first paying guests in 2004 and has been consistently featured as one of the best luxury hotels in Germany ever since.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“This was literally a storybook setting – I couldn’t help but gloat to my family…a castle!!! The location and finesse of the property were amazing! This property made me feel like I was in one of those booking.com commercials where I arrived, and was speechless! Amazing property!..”

“The hotel is astonishing. Comfortable, clean and the area around it is amazing…”

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Castle Hotels in Germany