# Gläserner Saalbau

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Canonical page: https://mytuur.com/en/city/heidelberg/spot/glaeserner-saalbau/

Content updated: 2026-06-22

Gläserner Saalbau stands within Heidelberg Castle, linking the Friedrichsbau and Ottheinrichsbau wings. Italian-style arcades open the Renaissance façade between these prominent castle buildings. Renaissance columns support a Gothic vaulted ceiling, while sandstone walls meet modern steel and glass.

Elector Friedrich II commissioned the building during his reign from 1544 to 1556. A fire in 1764 destroyed the roof, leaving the upper floors exposed for generations. A vaulted glass roof now protects the surviving structure while preserving its appearance as a ruin. New floors create event spaces with views across Heidelberg’s old town and the castle courtyard.

An upper-floor foyer connects with the neighbouring Ottheinrichsbau and the Kaisersaal. The adjacent octagonal Glockenturm marks the castle’s north-eastern silhouette beside the restored building. In the nearby Torturm, Charles de Graimberg’s reconstructed room displays drawings and copper engravings of the surrounding landscape.

- City: [Heidelberg](https://mytuur.com/en/city/heidelberg/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_GlsernerSaalbau_6832de80f44f54dc86905f54_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heidelberg_Schloss_Glaeserner-Saalbau_20240331_124250.jpg)

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