Torgau: Welcome to a Renaissance beauty
Magnificent buildings from the 16th century make this town on the Elbe river a Renaissance treasure chest. Under Elector Frederick the Wise, the local Hartenfels Castle became the political centre of the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther was a frequent guest at court. He consecrated the castle chapel, built in 1544, as the first Protestant church building ever. Luther's later wife Katharina von Bora also spent a lot of time in Torgau and eventually died in the town. Her grave in the St. Mary’s Church is well worth seeing.
Visitors will delight in the more than 1000-year-old town’s scenic surroundings with over 600 architectural monuments, including stunning Renaissance structures such as the house of mayor Paul Ringenhain. The residential floors of the building from 1596 are largely preserved in their original state and feature wonderful wall and ceiling paintings.
