Schloss Gröbitz

On the outskirts of the pretty Saale-Unstrut area lies the village of Gröbitz. The heart of the village, that has less than 500 inhabitants, is formed by the Church and the Schloss – which is actually not a Schloss, but a ‘Herrenhaus des Ritterguts’, or ‘Gutshaus’. But for the inhabitants of Gröbitz is this the Schloss.

In the summer of 2012 we, Katja, Arnoud and our children Linde and Mila, have been on vacation in this region for the first time. We were struck by the abundance of culture and the friendly people. The valleys of the rivers Saale and Unstrut are superb with extensive viticulture and several smaller and larger towns and villages and many castles, monasteries and ruins.

During this holiday we visited the Schloss for the first time, which at that time was standing empty and for sale. The most characteristic to the Schloss is the circular stairs Tower, which dates from 1512. The rest of the property is of later date: 1721. In the course of the time, 13 noble families have lived in the property. After World War II the property was nationalized. First it served for the reception of 52 German refugees from Silesia. Later in the GDR-time, it was used for different functions in the community: Town Hall, nursery, volunteer fire department, doctors practice, youth centre, library and so on. That has left its marks. In the course of the years much of the property changed and that is often done with little care.

Bed & Breakfast

While walking around in the empty spaces the vague ideas we had about renting out holiday apartments during the summer, became more and more concrete. The property offers enough possibilities. On the ground floor we visualize an entrance hall and a dining room. Furthermore, an apartment with a living and a sleeping room, a smaller guest room and, in a later phase, maybe a wellness area with sauna and jacuzzi. In the spacious, shady garden there is already a large terrace we would like to make a small swimming pool there. On the front of the property is a small municipal playground – ideal for children. The first floor of the Schloss can be reached via the monumental stairs tower. There you enter in a large hall. The rooms are situated around this hall and can easily be divided into four spacious apartments for four to six persons. On the second floor there is another space for four apartments.

Remodeling

Nearly 10 years later, in 2022, the renovation is finally very much complete. All common areas and two apartments on the second floor are completely finished. Ready to rent! The other two apartments will be ready before next summer. 

The whole project has of course taken much more time, money and energy than we had anticipated. We had to go through a lot of hurdles, with permits, preservation of monuments, fire safety and more. But in the end we succeeded and it is very satisfying to see the result as it is now.