Schloss Mespelbrunn is a true jewel in the heart of the Spessart. It is a Wasserschloss – a castle surrounded by a water-filled moat. Due to its hidden location in a quiet valley, it has never suffered any war damage. It is small but its location is impossibly romantic making it a great day-trip destination or a brief stop for drivers traveling along the Autobahn A3 between Frankfurt and Würzburg.In 1412, the archbishop of Mainz donated Mespelbrunn to his forest keeper, Knight Haman Echter, who erected a small castle. The present Renaissance castle building is mostly from the mid-16th century.The most famous person associated with the Schloss is Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (1545-1617) who became bishop of Würzburg in 1573. He spearheaded the Counter Reformation in the area and erected several churches in an attempt to visually illustrate how much better off the Catholic areas were in comparison to their Lutheran-Protestant neighbors.
