Schloss Aue

Wanfried, Germany, Germany

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Schloss Aue, also known as Auer Wasserburg or Aue Castle, is a medieval moated castle ruin in Wanfried-Aue, Germany, first mentioned in 1272 with possible earlier motte origins from the 12th century to guard trade routes and the Werra harbor.

The fortress featured a 23 by 23 meter stone basement with vaulted chambers and thick walls, later rebuilt with a three-story Renaissance facade before Croatian troops razed it to its foundations in 1637 during the Thirty Years' War.

Today, the preserved remnants house Hesse's smallest accessible museum in a 1920s decorative tower, displaying original medieval artifacts like glazed Reformation-era tiles unearthed in excavations managed by local heritage groups.