Gifhorn Castle, District Administration and Local History Museum in the Renaissance Castle
The historic buildings of the moated castle stand on the site of a medieval fortification in the estuary between the Ise and Aller rivers. In the 16th century, a gatehouse, storehouse, commandant's house, chapel, and service buildings were successively constructed around the irregularly trapezoidal castle courtyard, surrounded by ramparts, four bastions, and a moat, forming a well-fortified princely residence. The builders were the Dukes of Celle and Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Michael Clare, who also worked on Celle Castle, was the principal architect. This concept, while committed to the ideal of the Renaissance castle, is nevertheless influenced by regional styles, with many details still featuring Gothic moldings on the jambs and vault ribs.
