Conferences for 20 to 300 people, company parties, team events, knights' banquets and weddings take place inside the walls of Schloss Auerbach, a medieval castle ruin on a wooded hill above Bensheim-Auerbach, on the Bergstrasse in southern Hesse. Four indoor rooms hold from about 30 to 250 guests, and the ruin itself can take up to 1,800 people for large open-air events. The castle's own restaurant has served themed dinners here for more than thirty years.
Seminars and company events
The castle sells conferences, company parties, team events and end-of-year dinners. Three rooms are equipped for meetings: the Rittersaal for up to 30 conference guests, with a projection screen, built-in sound and blackout curtains; the Fürstenstube for up to 40, with its own terrace and a view over the plain; and the Scheune, a converted barn for up to 170, with a stage, a lectern and a headset sound system. Wi-Fi is available in all three. The ruin, open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., can be added to a conference day as a break or a guided walk.
Team formats use the setting. Knight games and a castle-storming challenge each end with a meal, with or without a full knights' banquet. A barbecue cooking duel splits guests into competing teams, and a Nibelungen quiz is hosted by the house herald. A barbecue for up to 400 people can close a company day.
Weddings and receptions
Couples can hold a free, non-civil ceremony within the old walls, followed by a reception in one of the indoor rooms. The castle builds each wedding offer individually and provides a wedding brochure, a list of program options such as entertainers, and menu suggestions. Birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations are booked the same way.
Rooms and capacities
For dinners and celebrations, the castle gives these figures: Rittersaal up to 65 guests, Schlossschänke up to 54, Fürstenstube up to 90 and Scheune up to 250. The ruin holds up to 1,800 people in total. The conference figures above are lower because they assume a meeting layout.
Catering
All food comes from the castle's own restaurant, the Burgschenke, which cooks regional dishes and runs the medieval-style dinners the venue is known for. Formats include the Rittermahl knights' banquet, also offered with a fire show, a night tournament or a Nibelungen theme, an open-air banquet in the torch-lit ruin, a goose feast toward the end of the year, buffets and set menus.
History and setting
The Counts of Katzenelnbogen built the castle around 1230 to guard the narrow pass at Zwingenberg. It was enlarged in the 14th century, badly damaged in the Thirty Years' War and destroyed in 1674 by troops under Marshal Turenne, after which it was left to decay. The Grand Duke of Hesse later had the ruin restored, and it has been a protected monument since 1903. The terrace looks west over the Rhine plain.
Getting there
The castle stands above Bensheim-Auerbach, about 25 km south of Darmstadt. For satellite navigation, enter Ernst-Ludwig-Promenade, 64625 Bensheim, then follow the signs. There are no bedrooms at the castle; holiday apartments for overnight guests are offered through a partner site.
