Shooting range @museum.de

M: The Hutzel Tower with its jaunty red roof marks the rear corner of the castle wall. Behind the wall is the north wing with the castle library, private living quarters and visitors’ apartments.

F: In the old days, the area in front of the castle was used for shooting practice and marksmanship competitions, which is why it’s still known as the Shooting Range. Later, the princely families also used it for other sporting activities, including tennis. Take a look at the panel to see a historical photograph of the Shooting Range. The stone bench you see in another photograph now stands near the castle entrance, on the left-hand side.

M: Note the loopholes in the wall of the tower – evidence that the castle was once a defensive structure. They weren’t just used to fire live rounds – the defenders would also have poured tar and pitch from these embrasures to protect the castle from attackers.

F: Today, the Shooting Range is a place of great tranquillity where even hawks and jackdaws live together in harmony.

M: Your next stop is the tea tower. When you’re ready to move on, please follow the path and then walk up the steps on your right.

F: The stairs on the left lead up to the castle. Behind the castle wall is the Zwinger, once a focus of the castle’s defence. It is not worth going up, because the door is only the exit through which visitors leave the castle after a guided tour.