Idstein Castle

Idstein Castle, later a Renaissance palace, is located in Idstein in the Rheingau-Taunus district. The hilltop castle was the residence of Nassau-Idstein.

In the 11th century, the former Idstein castle complex, about which little is known, was built on a rocky ridge in the middle of the old town. From this period, only the keep, the old district court, the gatehouse from the 15th century, and the palas of the upper castle have been preserved.

At the beginning of the 17th century, during the time of Prince Georg August Samuel von Nassau-Idstein, a Renaissance-style palace was built in place of the outer bailey. The interior decoration in Baroque style was completed around 1714. The master builder was Maximilian von Welsch, and the stucco work, especially in the so-called Emperor's Chamber, was executed by Carlo Maria Pozzi. The ceiling paintings and other paintings are by Valentin David Albrecht and Luca Antonio Colomba.

The upper castle was demolished, and the keep was given the nickname Hexenturm (Witches' Tower) due to the witch hunts of the time. However, it is likely that no one accused of witchcraft was ever imprisoned in this tower. The nickname only became widespread around 1900/10 with the circulation of Ottokar Schupp's (1834-1911) "Die Pfarrfrau von Heftrich" (The Pastor's Wife of Heftrich).

After the First World War, French soldiers were quartered in the palace as part of the occupation. During the Second World War, the palace served as a reserve hospital.

Today, the palace is used as accommodation for the Pestalozzi School Idstein. The palace and the Hexenturm can be visited by appointment.