Stein Collectors International

~ The Veste Coburg ~

A Museum within a Fortress




Located on a hill 550 feet above the town of Coburg, Veste Coburg offers incredible views of the valleys below. The one-kilometer walk from the parking area gives a visitor the feeling of the monumental strength of the walls that are perched high above. The Imperial soldiers who unsuccessfully lay siege to the Veste during the Thirty Years War must have left with a feeling of invincibility emitted by the Veste. Be certain to climb the short stairway to the walls of the fortress, where you will be able to view the many towns that dot the valleys below.

Exhibition areas in the Veste are in the original great halls that have been renovated and modified for use as exhibition space. For beer stein collectors the most important display would be the collection of Creussen steins. A fabulous collection of over 100 of these rate and desirable steins is displayed along with a fine selection of other stoneware steins including Annaberg, Altenburg and Freiburg. A few dozen faience steins can also be viewed in the same area. An excellent assortment of early glass is also displayed, including enameled glass from the seventeen century. The exhibitions of antique weapons, jousting equipment, hunting guns and knives are among the best in Europe. Special exhibitions that usually last about three to four months supplement the regular displays. During a recent visit to the Veste, we viewed a special exhibition of over 100 examples of modern Japanese art glass. The glass displayed in this exhibit rivals even the spectacular modern glass found in the Corning Glass Museum [Corning, NY].

Located about 40 minutes north of Bamberg, just follow the signs to Veste. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Photography is allowed.

Reproduced with the permission of Gary Kirsner Auctions.
This article first appeared in "The Beer Stein Journal", November 1994.

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