Ehrenburg Palace (Schloss Ehrenburg)

With its neo-Gothic exterior facade, the city residence of the Coburg dukes is an impressive sight on Coburg’s castle square. Duke Johann Ernst of Saxe-Coburg (1521 - 1553) had Ehrenburg Palace built between 1543 and 1547 to replace a dissolved Franciscan monastery. The complex is said to have been built without any servitude. This is why Emperor Charles V is also said to have called the building “Ehrenburg”. It was extended to a baroque three-winged complex in 1690. The castle church and the giant hall (Riesensaal) with 28 mighty atlas figures date from this period. In the 19th century, the building was given a Gothic facade designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The living and representation rooms were sumptuously furnished in the Empire style. The bedroom used by Queen Victoria, wife of Coburg’s Prince Albert, is a reminder of her frequent visits to Coburg.