Spitzhaus, Bismarck Tower and Spitzhaus staircase

Restaurant im Sommer
Zitzschewig Fachwerkhäuser

Spitzhaus, Bismarck Tower and Spitzhaus staircase

The Spitzhaus has towered over the Radebeul vineyards since 1622. It is the oldest summer house in Lößnitz and was built on an almost square floor plan as a two-storey late Renaissance building.

After 1656, the Dresden merchant Paul Friedrich Landsberger had a high, curved tent roof added. This is attributed to the master builder Wolf Caspar von Klengel due to its close resemblance to the roof of the Moritzburg castle chapel. After several changes of ownership, the house came into the possession of the Saxon Elector Augustus the Strong in 1710 as a gift from Countess Cosel. Since then, the banqueting hall on the upper floor has repeatedly been used for courtly entertainments.

Among the guests who visited the Spitzhaus, not least because of the unique view, were Saxon rulers as well as Frederick II of Prussia, Emperor Joseph II and the French King Charles X. Following the decline of Saxon viticulture, the Spitzhaus was auctioned off in 1889 and came into the possession of innkeeper Friedrich Hermann Hennicke in 1898. He had it remodelled and opened a restaurant in 1902. Today, the Spitzhaus once again houses a restaurant.

Another landmark is the Bismarck Tower. Following the example of numerous German municipalities, the "German Social Reform Association for Radebeul and the surrounding area" suggested the construction of a tower in honour of the first German Chancellor Prince Otto von Bismarck in 1902.

After the Second World War, all references to Bismarck were removed and the tower was officially renamed the "Tower of Youth". In 1993, the listed building was given its name back. The terrace surrounding the tower is one of the most popular viewing points in Radebeul.

The Spitzhaus staircase right next to the Bismarck Tower connects the Spitzhaus with the Hoflößnitz. A first simple version was realised between 1747 and 1750 and completed with a shell pavilion as the upper end. In 1845/46, master builder Carl Moritz Haenel rebuilt the staircase. Instead of the original 365 steps, it now consists of 397 steps. The International Spitzhaustreppenlauf has been held here every year since 2001.


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Spitzhaus

Spitzhausstraße 36
D-01445 Radebeul
+49 351 8309305
http://www.spitzhaus-radebeul.de
Opening hours  
Monday     11 am to 11 pm
Wednesday to Saturday  
Sunday and public holidays      11 am to 10 pm

Bismarck Tower

accessible via Spitzhausstraße

Open to visitors during the summer months on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm.
Admission  € 2.00 per person, family ticket  € 5.00