TRAVEL
A fairytale castle becomes a major draw for the public
There was then another long gap before the
present owner, HRH Prince Ernst August of Hanover, the eldest son and heir of the current head
of the royal house, finally made the decision
in 2005 that the home of his ancestors, almost
untouched as it was by the passage of time, should
be opened to a broad public. Today, Marienburg
Castle is an attractive destination for excursions
in Hanover Region and an event venue with a
very special atmosphere. Thanks to the fact that
its interior furnishings and decoration are almost
completely preserved, Marienburg Castle occupies an outstanding position amongst Germany’s
vast collection of historic castles and palaces.
Visitors can view the interior of the Castle
on a guided tour, which lasts almost an hour.
It covers both the state rooms and the private apartments which the royal family used
when they were staying at the Castle, and also
many important objects from the time when
the Guelphs were still a ruling dynasty.
Amongst the particular highlights of the guided
tour are silver furniture owned by George II, King
of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, which is
unique in artistic history, and the almost completely preserved castle kitchen. Visitors can
also climb the Tower: 160 steps bring them to a
viewing platform with a view that is well worth
the effort, extending across the valley of the
River Leine and the Seven Hills (behind which,
according to legend, lies the home of the Seven
Dwarfs) all the way to Hildesheim and across the
Calenberger Land to Hanover. In the entrance to
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Fall 2014 1961 Magazine
the castle there is a Castle Shop with Marienburg
Castle souvenirs for both adults and children, and
interesting books about the House of Guelph.
Patrons of the Castle Restaurant, which is housed
in the former mews (stables and carriage shed),
are given the feeling that from a culinary point
of view everything possible is done to provide for
their wants. The cuisine focuses on fresh, seasonal
products from the region. In addition to a regularly
changing range of à la carte dishes and the popular
Sunday brunch, guests can look forward to a surprise on selected Fridays in the form of a special set
meal with a particular theme. When the weather is
fine, the romantic castle courtyard invites visitors to
linger, allowing themselves to be enchanted by the
unique backdrop and spoilt by the culinary offerings.
During the season there is a varied programme
of events to attract visitors, including concerts, plays, performances by artistes in various disciplines, and helicopter flights. One
attraction of the period before Christmas is the
Winter Fairytale Week. For children there are
numerous guided tours full of adventure.
For those who wish to tie the knot, civil (register
office) weddings are performed in the historic rooms from May to October. The romantic
Castle Chapel is available for church weddings.
Wedding breakfasts and other celebrations and
events can take place in other rooms such as the
venerable Great Hall (or Hall of Chivalry), the
Crown Prince’s reception rooms, which have been
elaborately restored, or the Castle Restaurant.