Sights In 1898, Ottilie von Faber married Count Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen and a few years later, they decided to build a new castle, right next to the small old castle. The building work took only three years (1903 - 1906) and was supervised by Theodor von Kramer. The furniture features a combination of Historism and Jugendstil. Two rooms, which are especially remarkable, are the ladies and the gentlemen's bathrooms with sunken marble baths. During the two world wars, the castle remained mostly unharmed and was used as housing for international lawyers and journalists during the Nuremberg Trials. Reportedly, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway resided there while writing for the US press. Nowadays, the castle is mainly used for cultural events and meetings. It is also used for weddings of the Faber-Castell family. The Heimatmuseum (local museum) is located in the oldest building of the town. The house was built in 1635 and used to contain an inn. The city of Stein acquired and renovated it in 1988. The museum's exhibition consists of items on loan and donations by citizens and tries to reconstruct the history of craft, industry and family/community life. Its opening hours are from 1 to 5 pm, always on the third Sunday of the month and are accorded to the opening hours of the museum Alte Mine, which is run by Faber-Castell and which documents the historical development of lead production. The Freiland-Aquarium and -Terrarium Stein is a smal park where local flora and fauna are presented to visitors for free entrance. It is open on weekends and holidays from May to September and its focus lies on local reptiles, amphibians, fish, swamp and water plants. The Palm Beach is a large spa that was built in 1979 and privatized in 1993. The facility includes a 25-meter sports pool, a pool with artificial waves, thermal baths, a beach bar and a large outside area. In December 2012, the Future world & Space Center, which includes twelve water slides, was opened. Events The Christmas Market in Stein takes place during the first weekend in Advent. On the first evening, school children walk with lanterns from the town hall to Mecklenburger Platz, where the mayor opens the market together with St. Nicolas and the Christkind. The booths usually represent the town's associations, unions or businesses. The City Festival (Stadtfest) takes place every spring. The shops are open all weekend,