Seminars and company events
Schloss Petershagen hires out its historic rooms and park for seminars, workshops, team events, lectures and concerts, as well as weddings and private parties. The castle stands on the Weser in Petershagen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, near Minden and between Hannover and Bielefeld. It stopped operating as a hotel in 2018 and reopened as an event venue after a restoration begun in 2022.
The rooms range from rustic vaulted cellars to formal halls, and the castle presents them for workshops and team days rather than large conferences. A seminar package covers the meeting room, standard technology, seating, a coffee break and lunch. For lectures and other events, catering is agreed with the venue. The park of about 20,000 square meters gives room for breaks outdoors and team-building exercises. Guided tours of the castle are available for groups of ten or more, and from May to September a beer garden overlooking the Weser opens on weekends.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the main business, handled by a dedicated wedding team. Couples can hold a non-religious ceremony in one of the wedding halls, on the Große Weserterrasse above the river, or in the inner courtyard. The registry office is about 300 meters away, so a civil ceremony in town can be followed by a sparkling wine reception in the courtyard. The vaulted cellar suits a drinks reception, and the Fasanerie takes a flying buffet or round tables. The Orangerie, the pink room and the staircase tower serve as photo settings, and one testimonial describes having the whole castle and its outbuildings for the day. Birthday parties range from medieval-style feasts to formal champagne receptions.
Rooms and capacities
The spaces named by the venue include the Festsaal, the Orangerie, the Fasanerie, the Gewölbekeller, the Große Weserterrasse and the Innenhof. The site does not publish guest numbers, so organizers should ask the team for capacities in each layout.
Catering
Couples and companies choose between a food truck, a buffet and a multi-course menu, drawn from a selection of caterers the venue works with. Seminar packages include the coffee break and lunch.
History and setting
Bishop Gottfried von Waldeck had the castle built in 1306 as a fortified residence for the bishops of Minden. Between 1544 and 1547, Bishop Franz II von Waldeck commissioned the Swabian master builder Jörg Unkair to turn it into a palace. The result is an early example of Weser Renaissance architecture, with a spiral staircase bearing a coat of arms and walls of dark Porta sandstone and light Obernkirchen sandstone. A north wing with a festival hall and a chapel followed around 1560. From 1649 to 1669 the castle was the seat of government of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden, and in 1650 Frederick William of Brandenburg, the Great Elector, received homage there. After a long decline it passed into private hands in the late 19th century and served as a residence, then as a hotel.
Getting there
The address is Schloßstraße 5 in Petershagen. Minden is the nearest larger rail hub, and Hannover Airport is the closest international airport.
