The Palace of Crossen is an abandoned palace in the style of a manor house in the county of Thuringia, Germany. After frequent changes of ownership and its use as an educational institution in the GDR, it was abandoned in 1991. The Palace is a lost place you can visit legally, and you’ll find many great photo spots there. From a magnificent ballroom to a dark and moody bunker.

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Know before you go to the Palace of Crossen

The Palace of Crossen is located in the small city of Crossen in Thuringia, Germany. It’s about an hour by car from Leipzipg.

The baroque palace complex was built in the 10th century. Over the centuries, it was frequently damaged during wars, rebuilt and extended. After its abandonment in 1925, the palace had many interim uses. Soldiers were stationed at the palace during the Second World War. In 1953, the GDR established an educational institution for teachers only to be abandoned again after the Germain reunification.

Historical Timeline & Key Milestones
10th Century
Origins as a Medieval Stronghold
The site began as a fortified complex strategically positioned on a hilltop overlooking the White Elster river valley.
1712
Baroque Palace Transformation
Under the von Flemming family, the estate was rebuilt into a grand Baroque residence, complete with the breathtaking ballroom decorated with Italian illusionistic frescoes.
1925–1945
Interim Uses & World War II
After changing private owners in the 1920s, the palace served various interim purposes and was used as military quarters during World War II.
1953
GDR Teacher Training College
The East German government converted the building into an educational college (Institut für Lehrerbildung), adapting the historic chambers into classrooms and student dormitories.
1991
Closure & Heritage Preservation
Following German reunification, operations ceased and the palace sat vacant. Today, a dedicated non-profit association actively preserves the historical estate and facilitates guided access.

Currently the palace is owned by non-profit association. They offer guided tours through the castle. But if you are keen to explore it on your own, check out my favorite urbex tour operator “go2know”. You’ll find the link in the summary.

Important information Urbex tour availability and itineraries change regularly. I do not actively verify if the tours are still offered the way I experienced them. Please check the operator’s website linked at the bottom of this post for current details.

Photo Spots at the Palace of Crossen

Old Classrooms

As the palace was used as en educational institution, you’ll find plenty of rooms that were adapted as classrooms. Many of them still contain the blackboard and the student desks.

Old Classroom at the Palace of Crossen

In some of them, you’ll also find educational materials like how to pronounce Russian letters properly.

Huge Doors with magnificent door handles

Around the baroque hall you can find many old and heavy doors that are several feet high. I estimate the height to be between 9 to 12 feet. At these doors you’ll find magnificent door handles. I guess they’re made from brass.

Huge old Doors with beautiful Handles

Behind that door, you’ll find the entrance to the baroque hall.

The Baroque Hall with Illusion Painting

Due to its remote location, the palace was spared from vandalism. One of the most beautiful photo spots at the palace is the banquet hall with its stunning illusion painting.

Beautiful Baroque Hall at the Palace of Crossen

Capture it from the back of the hall using the wide angle lens of your iPhone. During your tour, you’ll also find a small passage at the next floor. From there you also get stunning views of the banquet hall.

Old Furniture from the Past Century

On several floors you’ll find old furniture that looks like it’s from the past century. There’s also an entire room with old images and furniture, but it’s only accessible with assistance to ensure the stuff remains intact.

Old Furniture you can find at the Palace of Crossen

The Kitchen

In the basement you’ll find two interesting photo spots. One of them is the old kitchen. It still contains many appliances you’d expect in a commercial kitchen. Also an apron is still hanging around.

Old Kitchen Appliance in the Basement

The Bunker

The bunker is dark, and it’s quite humid in there. So bring a flashlight and watch your step. Because if the humidity, the floor is slippery.

Bunker Entrance at the Palace of Crossen

Maybe a Prison Cell?

A few doors and wall panels in the bunker rooms were made of wood and are moldy. I encountered black and white mold down there, so I recommend wearing a respirator mask as I’ve outlined in the safety section of my urbex rules guide.

Tips for Exploring the Palace Crossen

As the beautiful banquet hall is the highlight of the tour, people tend to flock there. So I recommend doing exactly the opposite. Start your tour at the top of the bell tower and work your way down floor by floor to the bunker. Keep the banquet hall for the end when everyone else has taken their photo.

Exploring Palace of Crossen is pretty safe. I’d just take a few precautions in the bunker. It’s quite humid down there, and I saw black mold on a few doors. So I’d recommend wearing a respirator mask. Also, do not move the heavy bunker doors. They’re rusty and I saw one or two of them where the upper suspension is broken.

Generally, it’s a good idea to follow the safety rules I’ve outlined in my urbex rules guide.

Summary: Is the abandoned Palace of Crossen worth a visit?

If you want to legally explore an abandoned palace, the Palace of Crossen is definitely worth a visit. What I liked about the place is that you have so many different photo spots there and not just empty rooms. You’ll see the beautiful banquet hall, the former schoolrooms, the old furniture, the kitchen, and the dark and moody bunker.

To book your tour, head over to the go2know website and book your tour for the abandoned baroque palace (please note, that the website is in German).

Throughout the years, I’ve visited a number of lost places like this. For more such places, please check my list of urbex tours I’ve attended.