Museums Castle Aschach | Tickets & Castle Festival May 24–25

The Museums Castle Aschach uniquely combines castle atmosphere, vibrant cultural history, and a family-friendly visitor experience. Just a few kilometers from Bad Kissingen, you will find an ensemble of three houses in Bad Bocklet/Aschach: the Graf-Luxburg Museum with the former living quarters of the noble family, the Folk Museum providing insights into rural life in the Rhön between 1850 and 1950, and the School Museum featuring a staged classroom from around 1900. Additionally, there is a spacious castle park, a large adventure playground, and the inn in the castle. The season is traditionally open from spring to autumn; in 2025, it lasted from March 29 to November 9 with fixed opening hours from Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets can be conveniently purchased on-site at family-friendly prices; an annual pass is also available. The journey is flexible: by car and bus, from Bad Kissingen train station with line 8142, or on weekends via the spa bus. Even a historic stagecoach regularly brings guests to the castle from May to October. With a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 736 Google reviews, satisfied visitors speak for themselves: the dedicated team, lovingly curated exhibitions, the castle park, and the offerings for families are praised.

Tickets, Opening Hours, and Prices

The Museums Castle Aschach operates with a clear and fair ticket model that makes visiting easy to plan. During the museum season 2025 (March 29 – November 9), the following opening hours applied: Tuesday to Friday 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Mondays are closed; if a public holiday falls on a Monday, the closure is moved to Tuesday. The standard admission covers all three museums: Adults pay 6.00 euros; adults with a guest card and groups of 10 or more pay 5.00 euros; discounted tickets (students, trainees, holders of a volunteer card, and people with disabilities) are 3.50 euros; children and teenagers up to 16 years pay 2.00 euros; children up to 6 years and school classes have free admission. For families, there is a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) for 12.00 euros. Additionally, an annual pass is offered (15.00 euros), ideal for repeated visits throughout the season. The special feature: The ticket is valid for the entire calendar year; you do not have to visit all three houses on the same day but can spread your tour over several days. If you want to deepen your experience, you can book guided tours: standard tours in the Graf-Luxburg Museum, Folk Museum, or School Museum cost 45.00 euros per group, while experience tours – such as with “Countess Carola” in costume – cost 60.00 euros per group; up to 25 people are supervised per tour, plus museum admission. Tickets can be obtained at the museum cash desk in the ticket area with an attached museum shop; here you will also find catalogs and souvenirs. There is no online ticket requirement, which increases spontaneity on-site. Tailored offers are available for school classes, children's groups, or travel groups; inquiries can be made by phone or email. Tip: Those arriving with a guest card from Bad Bocklet benefit from the reduced price and can also use the bus connection free of charge. This provides an exceptionally visitor-friendly price-performance ratio for individual guests, families, and groups.

Castle Festival, Program, and Seasonal Highlights

The Museums Castle Aschach is not only an exhibition venue but also a stage for atmospheric festivals and events throughout the year. A fixed point is the castle festival in May: in 2025, it took place on the weekend of May 24 and 25 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The program combined tours through the Graf-Luxburg Museum – including a highlights tour of European and East Asian collection pieces at 11:15 AM – with interactive family tours at 2:00 PM. A special favorite among the audience is the costume tour “Carola Countess of Luxburg” at 3:15 PM, where historical rooms come alive through vivid storytelling. The festival was complemented by creative offerings, music, and culinary stands; on Saturday, a flea market in the picturesque castle park invited visitors to browse. As a summer counterpart, the wine festival on June 27 and 28, 2025, attracted visitors to the park in the evening hours: with regional wines, a relaxed atmosphere, and live music – such as the TG Big Band Schweinfurt at the start – as well as a youth program featuring up-and-coming bands from Lower Franconia. During Advent, the area transforms into an atmospheric backdrop for “Christmas at Castle Aschach”; in 2025, the event opened on December 13 and 14 and offered music, market stalls, and admission to all three museums for a modest event fee. Additionally, a varied calendar program fills the season: public tours, themed tours on architectural history, theater evenings, holiday programs for children, and educational events. The museum team prepares an event flyer for each season and updates the dates online. If you want to combine your visit with an event, you should check the calendar, as many formats – from family tours to theater readings – are included in the admission or can be booked for a small additional fee. This successfully bridges the gap between museum depth and enjoyable time in the castle park; families particularly benefit from the mix of culture, play, and culinary experiences. Tip: Program dates may vary seasonally; the current dates are published on the museums' website.

Directions, Parking, and Public Transport

The address for navigation is: Schlossstraße 24, 97708 Bad Bocklet/Aschach. The facility is located in Lower Franconia, conveniently close to several cities: Bad Kissingen (about 2 km), Schweinfurt (about 35 km), Fulda (about 65 km), and Würzburg (about 70 km). For car and coach guests, there are parking spaces below the castle. Guests with disabilities will find three designated disabled parking spaces above the castle via the castle driveway. For those wishing to travel sustainably, public transport is available: By train to Bad Kissingen station; from there, bus line 8142 (daily, departures including at the station and at Berliner Platz) and the spa bus (Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays) take you to Aschach. The bus ride only takes a few minutes, as the distance between the spa town and the castle location is short; with a guest card from Bad Bocklet, the connection is often free for guests. A special experience is the historic stagecoach, which operates from May to October every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 2:00 PM from the Tattersall parking lot in Bad Kissingen and comfortably brings visitors to the castle – ideal for those who want to combine travel and experience. On-site, clear signage makes the way from the parking lot through the castle park to the ticket area easy. Cyclists can reach the castle via quiet roads and paths; the surrounding area offers attractive routes along the Saale. Those walking will find beautiful walking paths from Bad Bocklet, including a circular route that leads through the spa park and along the Saale to Aschach. For groups, a brief prior information by phone or email is recommended, especially if a bus parking space is needed or a guided tour is desired. With this good accessibility – car, bus, train, plus stagecoach – Castle Aschach is equally attractive for day trips as well as longer stays.

The Three Museums: Highlights and Collections

The history of the site dates back to the 12th century when the Henneberg family had a castle built. After destructions – including during the Peasants' War – the Würzburg prince-bishops expanded the facility into a hunting and administrative seat. In 1874, Friedrich Graf von Luxburg, then government president of Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg, and his wife Luise, born Princess of Schönaich-Carolath, acquired the castle and made it the summer residence of their family. In 1955, Karl Graf von Luxburg handed over the facility along with its furnishings to the district of Lower Franconia; in 1957, the castle museum was opened under the direction of Max H. von Freeden. Today, the tour begins in the Graf-Luxburg Museum in the Great Castle: Here you enter the original preserved living and working rooms of the noble family from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Media, audio, and interactive stations vividly illustrate the noble living and lifestyle; in dedicated rooms, European and East Asian art collections document the family's passion for collecting – from paintings and sculptures of the Gothic and Renaissance to porcelain and bronzes from East Asia. Additionally, there is a free museum app “Graf-Luxburg-Museum” (German, English, French) with two routes: a classic tour through the castle and a barrier-free variant “With a wheelchair through the castle.” The app offers audio greetings, digital postcards, and further content, including information about the Folk Museum, School Museum, and Castle Park; Wi-Fi is available in the ticket area. In the Folk Museum, housed in the baroque fruit store, you will learn about the everyday life of the Rhön population between 1850 and 1950: living, working, eating and drinking, clothing, costumes, tools, and machines. Vivid presentations, exhibits, and texts show how people in the region shaped their everyday lives. The School Museum in the former gardener's house introduces you to education and school culture around 1900: school desks, wall pictures, notebooks, and writing utensils bring the classroom of that time to life. The three houses interconnect: noble life, rural everyday life, educational history. Together with the castle park, they create a vivid arc through several centuries of Franconian cultural history – ideal for families, schools, and travel groups.

Photos, Family Time, and On-Site Service

Visitors to the area not only experience exhibitions but also a relaxed time in nature. The castle park invites you to stroll; on benches and meadows, beautiful photo motifs with the castle, walls, and old trees naturally arise. For children, the nature-oriented adventure playground is a highlight: covering around 1,600 square meters, it offers play equipment for various age groups, including a 30-meter-long double zip line, a themed climbing landscape inspired by the historic stagecoach, slides, swings, a wobble bridge, and a sand area. The playground is located directly behind the Folk Museum, outside the castle wall, is freely accessible, and offers shady spots for a break. For culinary refreshment, the inn in the castle in the Small Castle serves Franconian and international dishes, including vegetarian and vegan options, with indoor and terrace seating overlooking the castle; the team is also ready for celebrations – from family gatherings to weddings. If you want to extend your visit, you will find catalogs, postcards, and small souvenirs in the museum shop. Photos: Official image galleries on the museum's website and social media posts show impressions from the exhibitions and the park; particularly popular are perspectives from the staircase of the Great Castle, details from the salons, views into the historic classroom, and park views in the changing seasons. Practically: The museums are committed to accessibility (“Museum for all”) and provide information, services, and the barrier-free app route. Families can enjoy tours, holiday programs, and children's birthday parties with age-appropriate stations. This makes the museum visit a shared experience – from the first discovery to playing and enjoying outdoors.

Reviews, Tips, and Background

The fact that Castle Aschach is a popular excursion destination is reflected in online reviews: with 4.6 out of 5 stars from several hundred reviews, guests highlight the diversity of the three museums, the friendly service, the well-maintained facility, and the gastronomic offerings. Common tips from feedback: Bring enough time – two to three hours are realistic for all three houses, with a tour or playground even more. If you want to dive deeper, start in the Graf-Luxburg Museum and use the app for background information; then it is worth switching to the Folk Museum and finally to the School Museum before heading to the park or the inn. Families should plan a break at the playground. Those wishing to attend public tours should check the event calendar daily. For weekends with events – castle festival, wine festival, or Christmas market – an earlier arrival is recommended to park comfortably and fully enjoy the program. Historical background: The facility dates back to a medieval castle, underwent reconstructions after destructions, and was expanded in the 19th century by the von Luxburg family as a summer residence. In 1955, it was donated to the district of Lower Franconia; since 1957, the castle has been accessible as a museum. Today, the district is responsible for the houses as a public cultural institution; the Lower Franconian Cultural Foundation acts as the sponsor. This continuity enables a program that ranges from classic museum offerings to education and festivals in the park. For travel: Those taking bus 8142 or the spa bus save on parking search; the stagecoach (May–October, Thu–Sat, 2:00 PM from Bad Kissingen Tattersall) is a charming extra. Please note that dates, opening hours, and individual program details may vary seasonally; the official pages provide current information. This ensures a visit that combines cultural history, nature, and hospitality – in a castle that keeps regional identity alive.

Sources:

• Museums Castle Aschach – Official Website
• Museums Castle Aschach – Opening Hours and Prices
• Museums Castle Aschach – Directions, Parking, Public Transport, Stagecoach
• Museums Castle Aschach – Overview of the Museums
• Museums Castle Aschach – Adventure Playground
• Museums Castle Aschach – App “Graf-Luxburg-Museum”
• Museums Castle Aschach – Festivals with Market (Castle Festival)
• Museums Castle Aschach – Events 2025
• Bad Bocklet Tourism – Museums Castle Aschach
• Wikipedia – Castle Aschach (Bad Bocklet)
• MAINLIKE – Castle Festival in the Museums Castle Aschach (May 24–25, 2025)
• revista.de – Castle Festival in the Museums Castle Aschach (May 24–25, 2025)