The sainted Elisabeth of Hungary (later of Thuringia), also spent part of her life from 1211 to 1228 at Wartburg Castle as consort of Ludwig IV

Wartburg Castle was founded in 1067 by the landgrave Ludwig the Springer and according to legend, the castle (Burg) got its name when its founder first laid eyes on the hill upon which the Wartburg now sits; taken with with the site, he is supposed to have exclaimed, "Warte, Berg--du sollst mir eine Burg werden!" ("Wait, mountain--you should become a castle for me!").

Wartburg was the seat of the Thuringian landgraves until 1440, and as a place of courtly culture it became the venue of the Sangerkrieg, the Minstrels' Contest, around 1207 with contestants such as Walther von der Vogelweide, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Albrecht von Halberstadt, and many others, taking part.

The sainted Elisabeth of Hungary (later of Thuringia), also spent part of her life from 1211 to 1228 at Wartburg castle as consort of Ludwig IV.

Martin Luther sought refuge at the castle, from May 1521 until March 1522, at the request of Frederick the Wise, after being victimized for being one of the originators of the Reformation. It was during this period that under the assumed name of Junker Jorge (the Knight George), Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German.

The Castle has been extensively modified throughout its life with many earlier modifications being overbuilt by later additions. For example, between 1952 and 1966, the East German Government restored Wartburg Castle to how it looked in the 16th century, which included Martin Luther's Room.

The Romanesque Palace (or Great Hall) is the oldest and most impressive of the buildings. Besides the chapel, it also contains the Sangersaal (Hall of the Minstrels), which was used by Wagner as inspiration for the setting of his Tannhauser and the Festsaal (the Feast or Festival Hall), both of which contain fine frescoes by Moritz von Schwind. Part of the Palace contains remnants of the original castle built by the Thuringian landgraves between 1157 and 1170.

The castle gate behind the drawbridge is the only access to the Castle, and it has remained exactly as it was throughout the centuries.

The Knights' House on the western side of the drawbridge dates back to the 15th century and most likely served as a hall of residence for the servants and guards.

Wartburg’s South Tower (erected in 1318) contains the dungeon; and the Castle keep (completed in 1859 and which has a four-meter Latin cross at its top; the Vogtei (the Bailiff's Lodge) in which Martin Luther’s room is situated; two covered walks, the Elisabeth and the Margaret; and the New Bower (the Kemenate or Women's Chamber).

The castles armoury use to house a magnificent collection of approximately 800 items, ranging from the splendid armour of King Henry II to the items of Frederick the Wise, Pope Julius II and Bernhard von Weimar. All these were confiscated by the Soviet Occupation Army in 1946 and have since vanished. Two helmets and swords, a prince's and a boy's armour, however, were found hidden in a temporary store at the time and a few pieces were handed over by Russia in the 1960s. The help of the new Russian Government has been sought in locating and returning the missing treasures.

During its long and colourful life, Wartburg Castle has become a place of pilgrimage to many people from within Germany and abroad and in 1999, was added to the World Heritage List as an "Outstanding Monument of the Feudal Period in Central Europe".