Burg Zwernitz, a medieval castle at Sanspareil near Wonsees in Upper Franconia, rents out one hall for private events. The Steinsaal is described by the Bavarian Palace Administration as suitable for standing receptions, lectures, banquets, private celebrations and weddings, for a maximum of 150 people.
Seminars and company events
The Steinsaal can be booked for lectures and banquets, which makes it a fit for a company evening, an annual dinner, a talk followed by a reception or a presentation for a larger group. The castle is run by the state palace administration, so every booking goes through its offices. The rental page for the castle gives no technical equipment list, no seating plans and no catering rules, so ask for these when you send your request: projector, sound, tables, chairs, kitchen access and the freedom to choose a caterer. A site visit before booking is the safest way to judge the room for your format.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are named explicitly among the uses of the hall. The same room can hold a ceremony, a banquet and a standing reception, up to 150 guests in total. Couples who want a smaller gathering can use the same hall with a reduced layout. The castle stands on a narrow rock above the Felsengarten Sanspareil, so the setting suits couples who want a ceremony in a historic building away from a town centre.
Rooms and capacities
One event room is offered for hire: the Steinsaal, for up to 150 people. The administration does not publish separate figures for seated dinner, theatre layout or reception on its page, so confirm the numbers for your layout directly. The castle also contains a history documentation and the permanent exhibition on court hunting in the margraviates of Ansbach and Bayreuth, which sit in the visitor part of the building.
Accommodation
The castle has no bedrooms. Guests who stay overnight need to book lodging in Wonsees, Bayreuth or elsewhere in the Franconian Switzerland nature park, and the organiser should plan the transfer.
History and setting
The castle was first documented in 1156 as the seat of the Walpoten. Around 1300 it became the administrative seat of the Burggrafen of Nuremberg and later of the margraves of Kulmbach and Bayreuth. The keep was part of a chain of watchtowers that passed smoke signals to the Plassenburg in Kulmbach. In the 1740s Margrave Friedrich had the castle restored while the rock garden of Sanspareil was laid out below it. Large parts of the late Romanesque building survive, recognizable by their rough-faced ashlar stones, and the keep can be climbed for a view over the nature park.
Getting there
The address is Sanspareil 29, 96197 Wonsees. Car and bus parking is at the entrance to the park below the castle. The palace administration page gives no public transport details, so plan a coach or shuttle for groups arriving by train at Bayreuth or Kulmbach.
