Burg Pappenheim in Pappenheim, Bavaria, can be hired for private celebrations such as weddings, baptisms and receptions. It offers two historic halls, the Ahnensaal for up to 160 guests and the Wappensaal for up to 80, plus a chapel, a room for civil-style ceremonies and outdoor areas. The official site presents it as a venue for celebrations, not as a seminar venue.
Weddings and receptions
The castle's own pages say its historic rooms can be rented for weddings, baptisms and other celebrations. The list covers the castle chapel, a ceremony room for non-religious weddings, the Ahnensaal, the Wappensaal, the Burgschänke (the castle tavern) and a catering room.
Outdoor areas are also available. The site mentions standing receptions, coffee and cake, and setting up a tent. During the day the castle receives regular visitors. After closing time, the hosts say, a wedding party has the castle to itself in the evening.
For ceremonies, the castle chapel holds up to 120 people and is consecrated for both Protestant (Lutheran) and Roman Catholic services. It may be used only for church ceremonies led by a Protestant or Catholic clergyman or a member of the Working Group of Christian Churches. Its ceiling shows 365 golden stars on a night-blue sky, with lamps shaped like scallop shells and an altar from the 18th century. Couples who want a non-church ceremony can use the Trau-Raum, a half-timbered hall. The ruined Georgskapelle on the main castle is suggested for an open-air ceremony.
Rooms and capacities
The Ahnensaal is a large, bright hall with a beamed wooden ceiling, big supporting pillars, cabinets, chests and paintings. The official page gives a capacity of up to 160 people. Handmade wooden lanterns hang from the ceiling and floor lamps give indirect light.
The Wappensaal is smaller, with space for up to 80 people. It has rough medieval masonry, shields and weapons on the walls, and an old wooden ceiling on pillars, lit in the same way as the Ahnensaal. For both halls the castle rents table candle holders as an extra.
The site does not say whether the figures are seated or standing, and it does not publish floor areas or prices. Ask for both when you send a request.
Catering
A catering room is listed among the rentable spaces. The official pages do not describe the catering arrangements, so confirm with the castle whether you bring your own caterer and what the kitchen allows.
History and setting
The castle stands on a rocky spur above the old town of Pappenheim, which lies in a loop of the Altmühl river. It is the ancestral seat of the Counts of Pappenheim, once hereditary marshals of the Holy Roman Empire. Gottfried Heinrich, Count of Pappenheim, fought under Wallenstein in the Thirty Years' War and was fatally wounded at Lützen. Schiller's play Wallenstein made the name famous.
The castle also holds a natural history and hunting museum, a historical museum on the town, the county and the family, and a torture chamber. From the keep there are views over the town and the valley.
Getting there
The castle is in the Altmühl valley, in the town of Pappenheim, 91788. The administration is at Marktplatz 5 in the town. The official site has a directions page for the exact access to the castle hill. Nearby, the old Augustinian monastery and the Gallus church can be visited, and the area is known for canoeing, hiking and cycling along the Altmühl.
