Unique Castles In The German Countryside
Germany is home to over 25,000 castles, many only ruins and some transformed into hotels and restaurants . The architecture demonstrates the rich history and medieval beauty of the country making it a beautiful place in historical heritage. The sizes and styles of the castles vary throughout Germany mainly depending on where the castle is located.
Here are a few of my favourite castles in Germany:
Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz, the Tudor style building with cone shaped turrets is nestled between the hills above the Mosel River. It is seen as one of Germanys finest castles which is understandable due to its beautiful architecture and location. Eltz Castle has been the family home of Lords of Eltz for more than thirty generations.
Visitors can take a tour around the castle in the two sections which are now open to the public to look at the various rooms and halls and see the weapons and amour along with other works of art. In the other section the gothic stained glass, pottery and fresh flowers demonstrate the comfort of the house where the Eltz family live.
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Schloss Neuschwanstein, the fairytale castle can be found amongst the Bavarian Alps and served as the inspiration for the Disneyland Castle in Paris. This stunning structure served as a retreat for the King Ludwig II in 1886. The interior demonstrates fantastic architecture and beautiful paintings. Due to the Kings death, the palace was left incomplete. It would have had more than 200 rooms. The largest rooms being the Hall of Singers which features large chandeliers with many candles and a large woodland painting at the far side. The rooms purpose was to serve as a walkable monument.
The castle is open for visitors to admire and take tours around the various rooms. The best views are from the Mary Bridge which is a 15 minute walk from the castle, perfect for photographs.
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg Castle, located on the Neckar River, this 600 year old castle hosts a variety of banquets, dinners, musicals and theatre performances. The castle is made of a number of buildings all surroundings the courtyard. The castle was used to house the majority of the Prince Electors but in 1764 the castle was struck by lightning leaving it uninhabitable. The ruins have since been rebuilt and visitors can walk around the castle, some people even choose to tie the knot at Heidelberg Castle.
Visitors can explore the wine cellar on their visit which features one of the largest wine kegs in the world. Known as ‘The Great Vat’. With a capacity of 220,000 litres and a direct connection pump to the banqueting hall, the parties never have a wine shortage.
Mespelbrunn Castle
Mespelbrunn Castle is set snuggly amongst the trees in a remote valley within the Spessart Forest. A beautiful moat and a range of paths and walking trails surround the castle. The castle dates back to the 13th century and managed to escape the damages of the First and Second World War.
The castle is not as big as some of the other castles in Germany but it has a special charm and beauty about it. The tall round tower was used as a watch out which is the only main part of the castle which is reminiscent of that time, the rest of the castle was rebuilt. Original members of the family still live in the castle today.
These impressive castles found in Germany represent the distinct architecture and grand scale design ideas of the Princes, Kings and Emperors who built them. The good thing is that almost all of the castles are open to the public to relive the history and experience life as it would have been in the past.