Whenever you visit castles in Germany it is hard not to feel like you landed right in the middle of a fairytale, with incredibly beautiful castles located on the top of high mountain peaks, having towers reaching the sky. The entire country is actually renowned for its castles. This should not be a surprise given Germany’s history, which is filled with dukes, knights, wars and conflict.
Most castles in Germany boast a very rich history filled with war but those that you can visit were restored to a former glory. Some Germany castles are even inhabited by families of the original founders. Treasures include incredible artifacts, weapons, furniture and paintings.
It is very hard to make a list of the best Germany castles. Such a list would always be highly subjective. However, it is hard to argue with the fact that the castles listed below are among the most beautiful in the country.
Reichsburg Castle – Cochem
Cochem’s Reichsburg Castle was erected around the year 1000 by a count. Eventually, it changed hands as an emperor actually pawned the castle in order to get the money needed to pay for the coronation. In the seventeenth century King Louis XIV invaded the area and almost destroyed the castle. Fortunately, it was rebuilt and it ended up looking even better thanks to the use of the Neo-Gothic style. If you decide to visit, be sure that you pay close attention to the rare Baroque and Renaissance furniture on display.
Burg Eltz Castle
This castle was the home of important German families like Kempenich, Rodendorf and Rubenach. It is located between Trier and Koblenz, close to the Moselle River. Burg Eltz was built during the twelfth century and it now actually has many of its original furnishings.
The castle is located on a massive rock placed right in the middle of a dense forest. It features medieval architecture and one of the reasons why it is unique is that it was never actually hit by wars. Burg Eltz Castle’s armory is filled with silver and gold artifacts, jewelry and porcelain. This armory is now seen as being one of the best that the continent has to offer. If you watched the movie “The Ninth Configuration” (1980), you saw the exterior of this castle.
Heidelberg Castle
This castle is 80 meters up on a hillside and simply dominates Heidelberg’s old center. Castle ruins are important in history because of the Renaissance structures that are present in a location north of Alps. Heidelberg Castle’s first structure was built during the thirteenth century. Then, during the Thirty Years War the castle was fully destroyed. Then, the French continued its destruction during the seventeenth century. The castle’s stones were taken in order to build homes. Fortunately, Heidelberg Castle was rebuilt but with various architectural styles added. This created an incredibly beautiful castle with a unique charm.
Lichtenstein Castle
This is a newer castle in Germany as it was built during the nineteenth century with the goal to honor Lichtenstein’s medieval knights. There was a castle on the site that was built in the twentieth century but it did end up in disrepair. Then, the Lichtenstein Castle was built on it. The castle can be accessed through a stone bridge and is located close to Honau, in the beautiful Swabian Alps. We are talking about a Neo-Gothic castle that is renowned for its large collection of historic armor and weapons.
Mespelbrunn Castle
A knight built a home on water during the fifteenth century. That house eventually turned into the highly appealing Mespelbrunn Castle. It is located between Wurzburg and Frankfurt, in the Spessart Forest. It does not look like most of the other castles of Germany but it has a really simple beauty that transformed the site into one of the most visited of all Germany’s water castles. Tourists can visit but the site is now privately owned so check ahead.
Hohenzollern Castle
The origins of this castle can be traced back to the eleventh century. The original structure did not last as centuries past. Just the chapel remained when during the middle of the nineteenth century it was King Frederick William IIV of Prussia that decided to build a new castle on it.
Hohenzollern Castle is visited by numerous tourists since it is close to Stuttgart. It is the Hohenzollern family’s ancestral home but nowadays, the castle can be described as being a museum. It covers so many treasures like the crown that was worn by the Prussian kings and Frederick the Great’s uniform. This privately owned site is among the most visited of all the castles of Germany. Some even say that it is the most beautiful one.
Schwerin Castle
Schwerin Castle stands on Schwerin’s main lake. Historical records show that there was a castle here as far back as the tenth century. For a long time the castle was the home of the Mecklenburg dukes but in the twentieth century it became a museum and a college. Nowadays, it is a museum and even a government building.
One thing that may be interesting for you is that if you are keen on the paranormal, you can check for the presence of the resident ghost, Petermannchen.
Hohenschwangau Castle
Hohenschwangau Castle was in ruins when it was discovered by Maximillian II. He loved the area and decided to renovate the castle that was there. After the work was finished, Maximillian II went there often to hunt or spend time during summers. The castle remained the home of his wife until she died.
Neuschwanstein Castle
This castle is often considered to be the most beautiful in Germany. It is definitely the most photographed of all the country’s buildings, a huge tourist destination. This is mainly because of where it is placed, right in the middle of the stunning Bavarian Alps, and due to how beautiful the castle is. In fact, Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration of the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Walt Disney’s work. It was built during the late 1800s without a clear defense purpose. This castle was the retreat of Bavaria’s Ludwig II so it features beautiful paintings and dazzling chandeliers in practically every single room. Also, floor 3 is dedicated to the fascination Ludwig has for swan scenes.
Germany’s castles are incredible but we would like to know which one is your favorite. Let us know below.