It is one of the landmarks in Torgau. 500 years ago this splendid castle on the Elbe river served as a residence to one of the most important men at the time of the Reformation: Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. He founded the university in Wittenberg and employed the smartest people of his time, first and foremost Martin Luther.

Luther was often a guest at Hartenfels Castle. Frederick the Wise supported and encouraged the ideas of the reformer as well as protecting him. He even instigated Martin Luther's fake abduction and hiding in Wartburg Castle, where he translated the Bible into German.

The Electors of Saxony created the intellectual center of the Reformation in Wittenberg and made Torgau the political power center. Castle Hartenfels underwent a Renaissance style rebuild. A real eye catcher is the "Große Wendelstein" also known as "the Impossible Staircase", a grand, enclosed spiral of stone steps, constructed without a central supporting column.

To this day, engineers shake their heads in disbelief. How can the 20-meter-high spiral staircase stand without a central supporting column. A masterpiece of Saxon architecture.

Part of the castle complex is the world's first ever purpose-built Protestant church. Martin Luther himself consecrated the chapel in 1544 with a celebratory service, in German and not Latin, of course. The Castle church with its light, simple appearance complied with what Luther believed a house of god in the new age should look like.

The old town center of Torgau begins right behind the castle. The splendid patrician's houses bear witness to the past wealth of the town. Some 500 years ago, with some 6,000 inhabitants, it was regarded as a city. By today's standards it is rather tranquil, providing a home to some 20,000 people.

Torgau plays an important part in the life of Katharina von Bora, Luther's wife. A collection of sculptures depicts the important stages of her life. Seen here is her escape in 1523 from the Nimbschen Convent. Torgau became the first place she found freedom. Two years later, the runaway nun married the former monk Martin Luther - crazy times!

The life of the Luther family centered in Wittenberg. In 1552, when Martin had already been dead for 6 years, Katharina tried to flee to Torgau from a Black Plague outbreak in Wittenberg. Her carriage was involved in an accident en route and she eventually succumbed to her injuries. The house where she died is today a museum.

On December 20, 1552 Katharina von Bora died at the age of 53. Her grave is in St. Mary's Church in Torgau.