Old Castle, © Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH, Sarah Schmid
Old Castle, courtyard, © Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH, wpsteinheisser

Altes Schloss (Old Castle)

The Old Castle goes back to a water fortress built in the 10th century for the protection of the stud garden (which gave Stuttgart its name). After the counts of Wuerttemberg moved their residence (Rotenberg) to Stuttgart in the 14th century, the fortress was enlarged corresponding to the new function. In 1325, in the place of old building parts, the Dürnitz building, the "court hall" of the closest entourage, was built.

Duke Christoph von Wuerttemberg (1550 - 1568) was the first to place the character of the castle in the foreground. He had the old fortress redecorated in the inner court to a magnificent renaissance palace. The building masters were Aberlin Tretsch and Blasius Berwart. The Dürnitz building was given upper floors, three wings were added - the result was a facility with four wings which surrounded an almost quadrangular inner court decorated with arcades, the columns of which were created in the image of antique Corinthian models. From a stairway in the middle of the court, one could reach the upper floors and the Knight's Hall on a horse. In one wing the protestant castle church was included and dedicated in 1562. To the outside, the castle retained its medieval character in spite of many reconstructions.

The palace finally no longer lived up to the demands of a proper court in the 18th century. After Duke Carl Eugen had the New Castle built from 1746, the glorious days of the Old Castle were over and it was degraded to an accessory building. Officials of the Stuttgarter court moved in with their families. At the end of the 19th century, it was the seat of the royal collection of antiquities.

In December 1931, a fire destroyed the Dürnitz building and two towers. The repairs were not yet finished when a bomb attack again caused devastating damage in 1944. But as early as 1946, under the direction of Paul Schmitthenner reconstruction began and was completed in 1962 with the reconstruction of the renaissance inner court. Today the outside of the building corresponds vastly with that of the former residence castle of the reformation period.

Since 1948, the Württemberg State Museum has been located in the Old Castle. Its historic core goes back to the art chamber, founded by King Wilhelm I von Wuerttemberg, which was the result of the ducal passion for collecting since the 16th century. Everything was brought together which was rare, costly and unusual. The crown and scepter as well as the diamond jewelry of the queens bear witness to the Wuerttemberg kingdom. Today the museum places an emphasis on showing the history of the state from the stone age through the Celts, Romans, Alammani up to the middle ages, Baroque and modern times. Further valuable collections complete the exhibitions. The childrens museum "Junges Schloss" is also located in the Old Castle nowadays.

Learn more about the Württemberg State Museum.

Opening hours

Monday -
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.

opening hours by Google

Location & Contact

Altes Schloss Stuttgart
Schillerplatz 6
70173 Stuttgart

Plan your trip

Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart GmbH
VVS timetable information

Deutsche Bahn AG
DB timetable information

Please accept the use of all cookies to view the content of this site.

Accept all cookies

Highlights im Alten Schloss

Family in the Old Palace Stuttgart, © Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH Christoph Düpper

StuttCard Bous

TopStop CityTour

TopStop CityTour

Show distance

Stuttgart

Junges Schloss (Young Palace) Chil­dren's Mu­seum

Details

Your StuttCard Bonus

Admission free

Contact

Junges Schloss. Das Kindermuseum in Stuttgart
Schillerplatz 6
70173 Stuttgart

Old Castle, © Stuttgart Marketing GmbH, Sarah Schmid

StuttCard Bous

RegioRad Station

TopStop CityTour

TopStop CityTour

Show distance

Stuttgart

Württem­berg State Mu­seum

Details

Your StuttCard Bonus

Admission free

Contact

Landesmuseum Württemberg im Alten Schloss
Schillerplatz 6
70173 Stuttgart

Memorial to the victims of National Socialism in Stuttgart

Show distance

Stuttgart

Mahn­mal für die Op­fer des Na­tion­alsozi­al­is­mus in Stut­tgart

HdG-Stauffenberg-Daniel-Stauch_57A4358, © Daniel Stauch Photography

TopStop CityTour

TopStop CityTour

Show distance

Stuttgart

Stauffen­berg Me­mori­al

Veranstaltungen im Landesmuseum

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 1, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Amor mi fa can­tar | 29.1.25

Concerts

Jan 29, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 10.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 1, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Das En­semble For­um Alte Mu­sik | 21.5.25

Concerts

May 21, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 5.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

PROTEST! Von der Wut zur Be­we­gung | Don­ner­stags-Spe­cial

Exhibition

Dec 12, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

from € 2.50

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Dürnitz Night Call goes HER*story

Experience

Apr 3, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 10.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Dürnitz Night Call goes Rap

Concerts

Feb 13, 2025, 6:00 p.m.

from € 10.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 1, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Ein mu­sikalis­cher Spaß | 19.2.25

Concerts

Feb 19, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 10.00

PROTEST! From anger to movement | Admission, © Landesmuseum Württemberg

Highlight

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Protest! Von der Wut zur Be­we­gung | Ein­tritt

Exhibition

Tomorrow, 10:00 a.m.

from € 5.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schloss Waldenbuch, Kirchgasse 3, 71111 Waldenbuch, Deutschland

Ein­tritt Mu­seum der All­tag­skul­tur

Exhibition

Today, 10:00 a.m.

from € 3.00

Hand puppet tour | Trouble with Stunk, © Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Führung | Ge­mein­sam streit­en! Ge­mein­sam ver­söhnen!

Experience

Dec 13, 2024, 3:30 p.m.

4.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Führung | Farben­zyklus in Kunst und Stoff

Experience

Dec 15, 2024, 10:30 a.m.

9.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Führung mit Baby| Mode und Ac­cessoires im Wan­del der Zeit

Experience

Dec 13, 2024, 10:15 a.m.

4.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Hand­pup­pen­führung | Är­ger mit Stunk

Kids & Family

Dec 12, 2024, 5:00 p.m.

from € 8.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Konzert mit Akly­one

Concerts

Feb 14, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 16.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Kul­turkaf­fee

Experience

Today, 3:30 p.m.

from € 4.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Mord im Mu­seum II | Der Tod der Königin

Experience

Jan 17, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 19.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 1, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Mord im Mu­seum III | Die Ko­lorat­ur des Todes

Experience

Jun 27, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 19.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Mord im Mu­seum IV | Im Wettlauf mit der Wahrheit

Experience

Feb 21, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 19.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Mord[s]geschichte[n] | His­tor­ische Krim­in­alfälle

Experience

Sep 25, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 10.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 1, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Mu­sik­pause

Concerts

Tomorrow, 12:30 p.m.

4.00

© Landesmuseum Württemberg

Show distance

Schillerpl. 6, 70173 Stuttgart, Deutschland

Per­form­ance-Abend „I'm every wo­man“

Experience

Mar 7, 2025, 7:00 p.m.

from € 5.00