Schlettau Castle

Schlettau Castle in the town of Schlettau on the Zschopau river is one of the important architectural monuments on the old Salt Road in the Upper Ore Mountains. It is also located on the Silver Road, shaped by old mining, which leads from Schwarzenberg towards Dresden. After complete restoration by 2006, it is now a museum and cultural center.

The oldest building of the historic ensemble, today's castle, dates back to a palas built in the 14th century in Gothic style. It was restored around 1900 with neo-Gothic elements. The manor house consists of a Renaissance central part (approx. 1620) and two Baroque wings (early 18th century). It is surrounded by other historic buildings.

In the 13th century, the small noble seat of the Imperial Ministerial family of Crimmitschau was the starting point for settlements in the Upper Ore Mountains. In the 14th century, the nobles of Schönburg-Crimmitschau were enfeoffed by King Charles IV with the lordship of the town and five villages. From 1413 to 1536, it belonged to the Cistercian Abbey of Grünhain, whose abbots expanded the palas into a castle around 1500. From the 16th to the 18th century, the castle was the center of electoral hunts and the seat of a chief forestry and game warden's office. From 1814 to 1923, the buildings were part of a spinning mill and later an agricultural machinery factory. In 1931, it became the property of the small town of Schlettau. Since 1995, the historic buildings have been restored under the leadership of a support association and are now managed and used by it.