Jagdschloss Grünau

Jagdschloss Grünau stands about six to seven kilometres east of Neuburg an der Donau, beside a vast floodplain forest. The early Renaissance hunting lodge rises among parkland, woodland paths and a historic Baroque avenue linking it with the city.

Count Palatine Ottheinrich built it between 1530 and 1555 as a wedding gift for Susanna of Bavaria. Two construction phases created the old and new buildings, while the high stair tower displays brightly glazed tiles. Water-filled moats once surrounded the complex, but the ditches have since silted up. Renaissance frescoes depicting hunting and courtly love remain inside, although visitors cannot enter the interiors. The west wing houses a floodplain information centre, which explains local habitats, forest management, flood protection and conservation along the Danube between Neuburg and Ingolstadt.

The surrounding grounds welcome walks, cycling, markets, exhibitions and cultural events. A detail to look for outside is the stair tower’s colourful glazed roof tiles, standing above the wooded setting.