[1] The hill on which Veste Coburg stands had been inhabited from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages, according to studies on results of excavations.

Richeza gave her properties to Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne, to allow the creation of Saalfeld Abbey in 1071.

This document also refers to a Vogt named Gerhart, implying that the local possessions of the Saalfeld Benedictines were administered from the hill.

In the 13th century, the hill overlooked the town of Trufalistat (Coburg's predecessor) and the important trade route from Nuremberg via Erfurt to Leipzig.

From April to October 1530, during the Diet of Augsburg, Martin Luther sought protection at the Fortress, as he was under an Imperial ban at the time.

In 1547, Johann Ernst moved the residence of the ducal family to a more convenient and fashionable location, Ehrenburg Palace in the town center of Coburg.

In 1632, the fortress was unsuccessfully besieged by Imperial and Bavarian forces commanded by Albrecht von Wallenstein for seven days during the Thirty Years' War.

On 17 March 1635, after a renewed siege of five months' duration, the Veste was handed over to the Imperials under Guillaume de Lamboy.

Through a successful policy of political marriages, the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha established links with several of the major European dynasties, including that of the United Kingdom.

Under his rule, many changes which had been made to the Veste Coburg in the 19th century were reversed under the architect Bodo Ebhardt, with the aim of restoring a more authentic medieval look.