Blutenburg Castle

Schloss Blutenburg is a moated late-Gothic castle in the west of Munich, Bavaria, built in the 15th century as a ducal hunting residence and small fortified retreat. It is notable today both for its preserved medieval fabric and for housing a major children’s literature library.

The compact complex includes the main castle building with its surrounding moat and a small chapel; interior spaces are used for exhibitions and the International Youth Library. The site is commonly visited for short cultural outings from central Munich.

Construction dates place the castle in the 15th century, when members of the Wittelsbach ducal family established the site as a hunting and residence complex; the building has undergone later restorations and changing uses over the centuries. In the late 20th century the castle became the home of the Internationale Jugendbibliothek, bringing a literary and museum function to the historic structure.

The castle sits in Munich’s western suburbs along a small river corridor and green space, west of the city centre, and is accessible by local roads and public transport from Munich.

• Location tip: The castle is set in Munich's western suburbs and is readily reached from the city, making it a common short excursion for visitors to the city.
• Combined interest: The site combines a moated late-Gothic structure with a modern cultural institution, so visitors often come for both the building and the library's collection and exhibitions.

What to See #

• Main castle: The main moated keep and residential wings form the compact, late Gothic castle core that dates to the 15th century and retains its surrounding water-filled moat.
• Castle chapel: A small chapel attached to the complex contains late-medieval fabric and historic funerary fittings and is the castle's principal historic interior space.
• International Youth Library: Since the late 20th century the complex has housed the Internationale Jugendbibliothek, an international centre for children's literature with exhibition and reading spaces.