Explore the house and the region
The first officially mentioned owner of Schlößchen Hildenbrandseck was Marx von Hiltbrandseck, who was a prominent clerk in the Palatinate administration. Starting in 1528, he also served as a ‘Landschreiber’, a historical version of the treasurer, and worked under the elector Ludwig V of Palatinate. Schlößchen Hildenbrandseck was built in Renaissance style around 1540. For hundreds of years, the castle has been located between the villages of Königsbach and Gimmeldingen, surrounded by vineyards. It sits on the southern shore of the little stream Erlenbach, which used to be the border between the historical Kurpfalz (Electoral Palatinate) and Hochstift Speyer. In the early nineteenth century (1803), after having been auctioned off to the state, the castle was significantly remodeled and extended. Today the listed estate stands tall as a two-winged annex, and was extensively restored between 2007 and 2012 by the von Oettingen family.
The media reported from the restoration of the castle – articles from Die Rheinpfalz (in German):
- 10.09.2024: Surprises in the castle
- 04.02.2016: Nerves of steel and cash cushion required
- 20.06.2015: Beauty of the aged
- 15.06.2015: Sparkassen-Denkmalpreis für Schlösschen Hildenbrandseck
- 04.12.2014: Peace and quiet – all by itself
- “Privatissimo! Sieben der schönsten Privatunterkünfte in der Pfalz” erschienen im Pfalzclub Magazin, Sommerausgabe 2014
- 09.11.2013: Glücksspirale and other good news
- 03.27.2013: Spend the night in a listed monument
- 06.16.2011: Final sprint for the little castle
- 09.10.2010: Slow, but steady progress
- 04.20.2009: A little angel flew in
- 09.16.2008: No vermin unrepresented
- 09.11.2008: Going to the bottom with history
Die Pfalz, the Palatinate: Wine – Nature – Culture
Wine, figs, almond trees and chestnuts thrive in the mild climate of the German wine route; every weekend there is a wine fest. The biosphere reserve Pfälzer Wald-Nordvogesen attracts hikers and cyclists with its grand scenery. The cultural gems are within sight; Castle Hambacher, the old imperial city Speyer with its impressive imperial cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage), Neustadt with its historical city center and the surrounding wine villages. The Palatinate is a soulful German landscape. And France is very close… Explore the region with its multifaceted possibilities for connoisseurs and sportsmen: www.gimmeldingen.de www.deutscheweinstrasse-pfalz.de www.pfalz.de
Worth a visit
For the active
Hiking
Many thousand kilometers of hiking trails are waiting to be discovered and explored in the Pfalz – more than 800 kilometer thereof have been rated especially good. It does not matter if it is in the Rhine area, in the Palatinate forest, along the German wine street or in the Palatinate mountains and on the Donners mountain, when you hike in the Palatinate, you can choose between many different types of landscapes and hiking paths. You’ll find the high-rated “Palatinate wine path” right outside of our door, together with lots of other exceptional hiking trails.
Biking
The Palatinate is paradise for bikers – and you can choose yourself: 23 nationally important bike routes of almost 1500 kilometers invite you to discover the Palatinate on two wheels.
Mountain Biking
Mountain Biking -The diverse low mountain range of the Palatinate forest with its fine net of little road offer the perfect setting for the demanding mountainbiker. Here you will find variation and difference in altitude, tough uphills, demanding tracks cross the mountain and steep downhills. A highlight is the mountain bike park in the Palatinate forest which has over 300 kilometers of marked tracks on all levels of difficulty.
Climbing
The Pfalz is a top climbing area. A total of around 100 sandstone crags with several thousand routes are on offer. Bouldering is also possible in over 30 bouldering areas in the Pfalz. The climbing garden at the Heidenburg in the former Gimmeldingen municipal quarry is located directly in Gimmeldingen and offers around 80 different routes in difficulty levels 1 to 9.