This is the church where Luther nailed his "95-Theses" to the door in 1517 and thereby launched the Reformation. The historical significance of this act is commemorated by UNESCO with its designation of Schlosskirche as a World Heritage Site. Burned in the fire, the original doors were replaced in 1858 with bronze ones that bear the text of the Theses in Latin. They are protected with iron fencing, and the entrance is further along. We walked all around the church and castle and enjoyed the grounds and saw the stairs in back to a hostel. We didn’t visit the Castle, but noted that the restaurant there looked like an inviting spot. From the back, we had a good view of the roof of the church, one of those colorful tile roofs that command notice.

Inside, we were astounded by Germanic beauty. Walls of stone with decorative carving revealed just a touch of inlaid color repeated in the high ceiling and along the carved balcony railings with inlain family crests. The stained glass was especially beautiful and curved around the altar and continued throughout the church with less color. The altar of carved stone was ornate with statuary in lieu of painting on canvas, which must have been burned in the fire. Alabaster statuary lined the vestibule. The church is an aesthetic treasure as well as a historic one.

Schlosskirche is open 7 days until 4pm November through April and until 5:00 May through October. Her sharp, black Germanic spire can be seen a few blocks away down Collegienstrasse, which apparently turns into Friedrichstrasse, the proper address. We thought it was all one street and had no trouble finding all the Luther sites lined up in a straight line on the same street. There is no admission, except for a pittance for guided tours.