Trausnitz Castle

Stand still for a moment and listen. Wind moves through the trees on the hillside, and far below, the bells of the old town drift up the slope. Under your feet the ground is uneven, worn by eight centuries of boots, hooves and cart wheels. The walls around you are a mix of pale stone, rough brick and warm plaster. This is Trausnitz Castle, and it has watched over Landshut for as long as the town has existed.

That last point is literal. Duke Ludwig the First of Bavaria, a member of the Wittelsbach family, founded the castle and the town together in 1204. The castle came first in importance. It controlled a crossing over the River Isar, a valuable trade route through southern Bavaria. The town grew at its feet, partly to serve it and partly to profit from it. For centuries, power lived up here and commerce lived down there.

Here is a detail many visitors miss. For most of its life, this building was not called Trausnitz at all. People simply knew it as the castle of Landshut. The name Trausnitz came into use much later. Even the town's own name tells a story of guarding. Landshut means roughly protection of the land, and this hilltop fortress was that protection in stone.

In the middle of the thirteenth century, the Wittelsbach lands were divided between brothers. Landshut became the capital of Lower Bavaria, and the castle became a ducal residence. The family that lived here was one of the most powerful in the German lands. The same dynasty would rule Bavaria, in one form or another, until the end of the First World War.

The fifteenth century was the castle's golden age. Three dukes in a row became known as the Rich Dukes of Landshut. Their wealth came from careful management, taxes on trade, and silver. They spent it generously. The court here was famous for its feasts, its clothing, and its display. Visitors from across Europe climbed this hill and walked into rooms filled with tapestries, painted wood, and gold.

The most famous moment came in 1475. Duke Georg, the last of the Rich Dukes, married Jadwiga, a princess from the royal family of Poland. The celebration lasted for days and fed a huge crowd of guests. It became one of the great festivals of the late Middle Ages. Landshut still remembers it. Every four years, thousands of townspeople put on historical costume and stage the Landshut Wedding again in the streets below.

The glory did not last. Georg died in 1503 without a son, and a bitter war broke out over his inheritance. When the fighting ended, Landshut was no longer the seat of an independent duchy. Power moved to Munich. The castle could easily have become an empty shell. Instead, it found a second life, and that second life is the reason many people come here today.

In the late sixteenth century, the young heir Wilhelm, later Duke Wilhelm the Fifth, made this his home. He loved Italian art and Italian fashion. He brought in painters and craftsmen and turned the old fortress into a Renaissance residence. Renaissance here means the style that spread from Italy, with its interest in classical forms, perspective and lively, human scenes.

The treasure of that period is the Fools' Staircase. Its walls are painted with life-size figures from the commedia dell'arte, the Italian street theatre of masked comic characters. You will see the cunning servant, the boastful captain, and the old merchant who is always being tricked. They climb the stairs beside you, laughing, quarrelling, and playing tricks. It is one of the oldest surviving cycles of these theatre images anywhere north of the Alps.

And now, the second surprise. In 1961, a fire broke out in the castle. It destroyed large parts of the Renaissance interiors. Rooms that had survived wars, plagues and centuries of neglect were lost in a single night. The Fools' Staircase survived, but not untouched. When you look at the walls, you are looking at both the sixteenth-century painting and the patient work of the restorers who saved it.

The older heart of the castle is still here too. Find the castle chapel, dedicated to Saint George. It holds carved figures and decoration from the thirteenth century, from the time when the Romanesque style was giving way to Gothic. Romanesque means round arches and heavy forms, while Gothic means pointed arches and height. Inside the chapel, you can see the two worlds meet. The figures are calm, upright and serious, carved with great care.

Today the castle also houses a Chamber of Art and Curiosities, run by the Bavarian state collections. Before modern museums, rulers collected strange and beautiful objects to show the wonders of the world. Here you will find carved ivory, exotic shells, scientific instruments, and objects that seemed almost magical to people at the time. It gives you a glimpse into how a Renaissance prince tried to fit the whole world into a few rooms.

Before you leave, walk to the edge of the hill and look down. The red roofs of the old town fill the valley. Rising above them is the tower of Saint Martin's Church, the tallest brick church tower in the world. From up here, the old link between castle and town is clear. Each one makes sense only with the other.

As you walk back down, notice the slope under your feet and the change in the air as the town sounds grow louder. For centuries, messengers, merchants and servants made this same walk between the hill and the market. Take one last look over your shoulder at the walls in the light... and then let the town take you in.