German chateau Weesenstein is a popular tourism destination. It was originally a castle but after numerous reconstructions and a few tricks such as painted windows it has become a chateau and now has a number of curiosities worth seeing.
Chateau Weesenstein in German county of Saxony is a unique tourism attraction. The chateau belongs among the most popular tourism destinations in the region. It has a number of interesting surprises to offer. When inside the chateau a visitor can actually find out that it is a castle transformed into a chateau. Its current shape is a result of seven hundred years of continuous conversions and reconstructions.
The chateau was in fact a patchwork of various styles and needed unification. The illusion of harmony and symmetry was achieved by the facade. To make it work some windows had to be painted on the facade when in reality there is nothing behind them than a rock or massive castle walls. The tower is also a masterpiece of deception as it is founded on top of a rock so the first floor is actually in the height of the eighth floor.
The castle was originally built on a rock above the Müglitz River. It was then transformed into a renaissance chateau which was later rebuilt in baroque style. Nevertheless, the original core of the castle remained. Another interesting architectural fact is that the rock which the castle is standing on made it possible for the builders to go down instead of raising the height of the chateau. As a result tourists can now go upstairs from the bedroom to the castle cellars.
The chateau boasts an interesting wallpaper collection as well. Most of it is from 18th and 19th century, the golden age of wallpapers, depicting life in the Far East. However, the most valuable pieces in the collection are the wallpapers made of leather and not of paper. These red and gold pieces of art were made in 1720 and over 100 goats had to sacrifice their lives to provide enough leather.