Rastatt Castle in Germany - 18th century baroque castle

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Rastatt Castle is a magnificent German Baroque castle from the early 18th century. It was once built by Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden and his wife Sibylla Augusta of Baden. Today it is open to the public.

Rastatt Castle

Rastatt Castle, or Residenzschloss Rastatt as it is also called, is an impressive sight and the oldest Baroque residence on the Upper Rhine. In conjunction with a visit to the castle, you can also visit the Margrave's summer palace, castle favourite, which is located nearby.

Rastatt Castle is located in the city of Rastatt, in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in western Germany.

The history of Rastatt Castle and the Margravine Sibylla Augusta

Rastatt Castle was built between 1700 and 1707 by Margrave Ludwig William of Baden and his wife Sibylla Augusta of Baden. The building was inspired by the French Palace of Versailles.

Louis, who was a military man and fought in several wars, died in 1707, and Sibylla became regent of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden and guardian of her successor, her four-year-old son Ludwig Georg. As regent, she successfully led the reconstruction of Baden after the destruction during the war with France.

Visiting Rastatt Castle

Rastatt Castle is open to the public and is interesting to visit. You can stroll in the castle garden and take a guided tour of the castle and/or the castle church.

There is also a military history museum at the castle. We perhaps found this to be less interesting, but it didn't cost extra when we were here and can serve as a way to pass the time while waiting for a guided tour.

A guided tour of Rastatt Castle

Taking a guided tour of Rastatt Castle is fascinating. When we visited the castle, the tour was in German, but as non-German speakers we were given written information in English so we could read about the rooms during the tour.

One of the most impressive rooms in the castle is the 'Ancestral Hall'. This hall was created by the architect Domenico Egidio Rossi to be used for court parties and receptions. There are many decorations that glorify and highlight the Margrave Louis William as a ruler and war hero.

You can also peek into the Margrave couple's private rooms, which are adorned and decorated in every conceivable way.

Above all, don't forget to look upwards, towards the stunning rooftops.

The castle church

If you want, you can also take a guided tour of the castle church and we highly recommend a visit here as well. The church, which was built by Margravine Sibylla Augusta, is amazing! From the outside you can hardly imagine that it even exists, but inside it is a masterpiece.

The tour starts at a staircase, which reminds you of the suffering of Jesus as he walked with the cross. The staircase is a replica of the 'Scala Sancta' in the Lateran Palace in St. Petersburg. Rome. In the past it was only possible to get around on your knees.

When you look inside the church, you gasp for breath. After being abandoned for many years, the church has now been carefully renovated so that it can be shown to the public.

As well as being beautifully decorated, the church is equipped with something as unusual as lighting inside the pillars, which gives the room a special light.

The church is dedicated to the Holy Cross on which Jesus was crucified, and there is a fresco on the ceiling that tells the story of Saint Helena's discovery of the cross during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 324. In addition, the Margravine herself is depicted in the fresco.

On the floor is the text "Bettet für die grose sunderin Augusta", meaning "Pray for the great sinner Augusta". It may sound funny to our ears that the Margravine wanted to call herself a sinner, but according to our guide it was typical for the time to see oneself as a sinner.

A walk around Rastatt

After visiting Rastatt Castle, we walked around the town of the same name. Here we could spot some more historical buildings such as the Pagodenburg pavilion, which was also built by Sibylla Augusta.

We also strolled through the market square (Marktplatz) with the Johannes-Nepomuk-Brunnen, Alexiusbrunnen and St Alexander's Church.

We have to say that the central parts of this city offer a lot of history, but also nice neighbourhoods. We stopped at the Hofbrauhaus Hatz pub because the paintings outside were so beautiful.

It was early in the day and no guests yet, but the staff came out and wanted us to also see the delicious decor with a large "pillar tree" in the centre of the room. There was no beer for us on this occasion, but it looked nice!

We also found a really cool mural, and some nice public art. All in all, we can say that it was a great visit to Rastatt!

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

There are of course several hotels to choose from in Rastatt. If you are traveling by motorhome, there are various parking lots and campsites in and around Rastatt. The former parking lot at Familienbad Alohra, where we stayed overnight during our visit, is now permanently closed.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Once you have seen Rastatt Castle and the city of Rastatt, you will of course also want to take the opportunity to see the summer palace outside the city and perhaps continue to Baden-Baden. Here you will find reports and tips:

• Favorite Summer Palace
• Things to do in Baden Baden