Some of the finest castles in Europe have their home in Germany. All range of spectacular castles some of which are either fortified and others where still Royal families reside, the castles that have history dating back to centuries or the past filled with the bravery of knights and dukes, the castles which are very rich in architecture or some of which only stands the ruins due to the devastation of war are attraction to millions of visitors every year.
The list of 15 top castles of Germany are
Eltz Castle
It is one of the most popular castles built in the 12th century which gained its fame on social media located in Western Germany near the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier. The castle is surrounded by dark and thick woods and it gives+ picture-perfect ambiance which recently became the favorite destination for many photographers for its landscapes and surroundings.
The castle was the ancestral home to the families of Rubenach, Rodendorf, and Kempenich. The architecture of the castle is very unique and is of the medieval age. However, the castle has never been the victim of any war and the armory of the castle is still filled with artifacts of silver and gold and some of the jewelry and porcelain items. The castle was also used in the film “The Ninth Configuration”.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The 19th century built Neuschwanstein is located in the Bavarian Alps near the town Fussen. The fairy tale castle for Disney’s Sleeping beauty was inspired by this castle. It was not built for defense purpose but it was for the fanciful treat of the King of Bavaria, Ludwig III. The rooms of castles are decorated with the attractive chandelier as well as beautiful paintings. The castle lands itself on the hill between the beautiful surroundings which offer breathtaking views.
Marburger Schloss
The Castle is above the old town of Marburg and has a very interesting history. It is built in the Gothic and Renaissance style of architecture and has some very attractive Gothic elements. The main attraction of the buildings is the great hall and the chapel building that are few of the unique and exceptional Gothic architecture in Central Europe. The castle is now open to the public as the Museum for Cultural history.
One of the important roles that Marburger castle plays is to discover the Nazi governments important documents that are in the Marburger files.
Hohenzollern Castle
This castle is located in South-West Germany in Baden Wurttemberg and which has its base on the Mount Hohenzollern. The first two castles that were build here fell into despair and this one is the third one. The construction of this third castle started around in the year 1850. It offers stunning views from the castle which gets stretch up to 100 km.
Various style of architectures are visualized in the castle among which some elements of military architecture are very impressive. They are depicted at the Eagle gate which then heads towards the entrance of the castle through a drawbridge. There are three gothic revival buildings present inside the castle.
The castle is still owned by the Hohenzollern family and the visitors enjoy the tour inside looking at various historical artifacts and stunning surroundings.
Mespelbrunn Castle
The castle is situated amidst the Spessart Forest between Wurzburg and Frankfurt. In the beginning, the castle was just a simple house that is built on the water by a knight of the 15th century. It was built in the style of late medieval and early Renaissance time. The tower is the only original structure that was built in the 15th century after it has gone through many changes.
Although the castle deprives the appearance of the German Royal Palaces it’s simple and elegant look makes it one of the beautiful and most visited water castle of Germany. The castle is situated in the deserted location surrounded by dense forest and inside the valley, hence it is one of the few castles that is untouched by the wars.
The castle is privately owned by the Ingelheim Royal family members residing in the southern wing of the castle but it is still open for visiting of tourists all through the year. Visitors prefer to take a walk around the paths on the grounds of the castle.
Reichsburg Castle
The castle was built by 1000 palatinate count in Cochem which was later given to the emperor as his pay for the coronation. The Romanesque style castle was rebuilt in the style of Neo-Gothic after it was destroyed by the invasion of the French King Louis Xiv in the 17th century. The castle is atop the hill by the side of Moselle River. The castle also depicts the furniture of Renaissance and Baroque style.
The Reichsburg Castle apart from its castle and surrounding is also popular as it offers many other fun activities and many events they provide like getting astonished by the flaunting performance of skilled falcons, vultures, and eagles. End up your day by dining at The Knight’s Meal featuring the historical cuisine, local wines and astounding performances by minstrels and jesters.
Hohenschwangau Castle
The 19th-century castle where King Ludwig II spent the earlier years of his childhood, and located in southern Germany is Hohenschwangau castle. King Ludwig’s father King Maximilian started the construction of this castle in 1833 and after that, his mother Queen Mary lived in the castle till her last breath.
The castle was built in the Neo-gothic style under the guidance of Domenico Quaglio. There are around 90 paintings that portray the history of romances of medieval Germans and Schwangau.
It was opened to the public as a museum in the 20th century but was soon closed as the Royal families moved here during the time of World Wars. Again it is open to the public and thousands of visitors visit the castle each year
Wartburg Castle
A rich historical palace that lies in the heart of Germany is Wartburg castle. It is the first German castle that has been listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since the year 1999. The castle was inspired by the Neuschwanstein castle of King Ludwig II. In the second half of the 11th century, the construction of the castle was started. After the castle was damaged by the fire, the repairing started in the early of the 14th century.
The castle lies stretching itself to 400 meters in Eisenach town and is one of the admirable castles in the central Europe of the feudal time. It represents the German history of over 1000 years. There are ways to reach up to the castle which is either by hiking on the steep slope or sit in a shuttle bus enjoying the paths and surroundings. A must visit castle.
Lichtenstein Castle
This castle is built in the honor of the medieval knights of Lichtenstein and is the 19th century built a newer palace. There was a castle previously on the same place in the 12th century and was not in the condition to be repaired and hence the new castle was constructed on its place. The castle sits atop the hill which can be reached via a stone bridge that stretches itself up to one another hill.
This castle lies in the Swabian hills near Honau. It was built in the Neo-Gothic style and is famous for its armor and weapons of historic age. A curtain wall, Barbican, courtyard, bastions, turrets, and outer bailey are the main features displayed in the castle.
Schwerin Castle
As the castle sits on the beautiful lake of Schwerin in Northern Germany, so is its name. A stunning landscape like that of a fairy tale is created by the surrounding lake and the palatial Schloss.
It is known that another castle was there at the same place on the 10th century, however, this castle was built in the 19th century, some of its construction still present is from the 16th century. It was the ancestral home of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg for many centuries.
The castle was used as a college for the teachers of the kindergarten as well as the museum. Today also it serves as a museum and local state parliament building of government.
It also stands as one of the finest historical architecture of Europe depicting many turrets and towers. A story related to the resident ghost who wears 17th-century grab is also popular in the castle and the visitors interested in the paranormal activities find it very amusing and surely visit it.
Burg Rhestein
The historically build castle near Frankfurt above the river Rhine is Rhestein castle located in the Rhineland Palatinate region. The castle was rebuilt in the 19th century after originally built in the 14th century. Although the castle was built in the architecture style of the medieval age, it still has a drawbridge that is in function and it also has portcullis. The chapel of the castle depicts the altarpiece of the Gothic style whereas the courtyard there is known as the burgundy garden because of the fact that such types of grapes are planted in the surrounding region
Wernigerode Castle
One of the favorite tourist attraction palace in the Harz Mountain of the Saxony Anhalt is the Wernigerode Castle. There was an archaic fort previously which was later reconstructed as a citadel for Renaissance that was also destroyed after the continuous war of thirty years. Then the castle was again reconstructed in the Baroque style.
The castle has been open to visitors in which display of three main gardens and parks is in prime. Some part of the castle-like church, smokers salon and around 50 rooms inside it are sometimes offered to a wedding like function on rent.
Marksburg Castle
The castle that sits on a cliff on the Rhine valley and was built by one of the powerful family of the 12th century, Lord of Eppstein is the Marksburg castle. The castle has a very stronghold and has stood still past 700 years untouchable by enemies and immortal by elements. It features the admirable elements from the architecture of the medieval time.
It has a famous staircase named “Knights stairway” in the memories of the knights. The house also features the “Great Battery which stores cannons and many other weapons. Other than this there are wine cellars and the Great hall which astonishes its visitors
Heidelberg Castle
The castle is considered as one of the famous ruins of the world that is located in the dense forest of Konugstuhl hills. It has a prominent structure of renaissance of the Alps of the North which dominates most of the view of the town, Heidelberg. With its stunning architecture and beautiful garden, it was considered as the Eighth Wonder of the World during the 17th century.
This castle has a fascinating history after the upper part of the castle being destroyed by lightning in 1537. The castle was also damaged in the Grand Alliance War by the French. The castle was repaired but was again destroyed by another lightning in 1764 that caused a fire in the renovated parts of the buildings. Then the final rebuilt parts were of the Renaissance and the Gothic architectural style that is very unique and charming.
Moyland Castle
The Neo-gothic style castle is situated in North Germany near the Netherlands border. The moated castle is very prominent for the North-Rhine Westphalia region. The main attraction of the castle is the four-towered keep and the main two-storeyed building that is in the style of historical Tudor. The castle however suffered distortion in World War II. The interior of the castle went through stealing and vandalism by the soldiers of Canada but the exterior was not suffered at all. The castle is now open to the public as a museum that has a collection by Franz Joseph and Hans Van.
