Castles in Germany are straight out of a fairy tale. Often found sitting atop high mountain peaks with turrets reaching to the sky, they boast a rich history in both their glory and their ruin. Many of these castles have experienced architectural hardship over the centuries—from revolts to wars to even lightning. The majority have since been restored to their former glory. Some of them even remain in the royal families they were built by!
Special note: Technically, there is a difference between a “Schloss” and a “Burg”. A Burg is a fortress or a castle designed for defense in battle, whereas a Schloss is a palace designed as a residence.
This hilltop behemoth was built in 1267 by the Prussian Royal family. It was completely destroyed in 1423 but was eventually rebuilt. It has served as everything from a refuge for Catholics during the 30 Years’ War to a family home.
Amazingly, the same family owns and lives in it today. The Prince of Prussia and his wife keep their castle open to the public and the Prussian flag proudly flies from it.
Though standing in partial ruin, Burg Frankenstein in Darmstadt was originally built by Lord Conrad II Reinz in 1250. It is well worth a visit for its having inspired Mary Shelley’s famous book Frankenstein, published in 1818. Born in the castle in 1673, Johann Conrad Dippel was an alchemist who set up a lab in the castle and produced animal oils which he advertised as an elixir of life. Supposedly, Shelley heard of the lore while cruising up in Rhine in 1814.
Sitting on an island in the middle of Germany’s third largest lake, Schweriner Castle is nicknamed the “Neuschwanstein of the North” and has an astounding 653 rooms. Like most castles, it has a long history of changing hands and repairs but it’s on the docket for becoming a World Heritage Site.
It’s incredibly difficult for a building to withstand weather, wars, and revolt over centuries but Burg Eltz is the exception! This medieval fairy-tale-like castle has been in the hands of a single family for over 33 generations. An engraving of it was even used from 1965 to 1992 on the German 500 Deutsche Mark note. It’s hard to access though—hidden in the lush hills above the Moselle River and only accessible via hike or taxi.
The largest in Berlin and originally named Lietzenburg Palace, this baroque palace was commissioned by Sophie Charlotte, the wife of Duke of Prussia Friedrich III, with the inauguration of the palace falling on Friedrich’s 42nd birthday. When Sophie Charlotte died in 1705 at the age of 36, Friedrich named the palace and its estate Charlottenburg in her memory. Queen Louise, too, has lived here and is buried with her husband Friedrich Wilhelm III and her son in the mausoleum.
Heidelberg Castle has a history as old as Heidelberg itself. The first parts of this breath-taking Schloss were built around 1300, with it only gaining regal recognition when Prince Elector Ruprecht III inhabited it. The castle is made up of several separate buildings all surrounding a large courtyard. Though it once stood as a masterpiece on the hill, it has never been completely rebuilt after first suffering, of all things, a lightning bolt strike to its upper castle in the 1500’s and war and fires later on. Still, the ruins attract local and international visitors alike throughout the year and is now even a popular wedding destination.
Just a day trip from Stuttgart, Lichtenstein is known as the fairytale castle of Baden-Württemberg. The original castle dated back to 1200 but was destroyed twice and finally fell into ruins. The rebuilt version from the 19th century was inspired by the 1826 novel Lichtenstein by Wilhelm Hauff and sits on a cliff in the Swabian Alps and overlooks picturesque rolling hills. The castle up until today is decked out with fantastic historic artwork, stained glass, and armory.
This castle may not be the prettiest but it IS the longest—a fact confirmed by a Guiness World Record. Located in Upper Bavaria, this castle was the second residence of the dukes of Lower Bavaria. It was created in gothic style and is made up of a main castle, inner courtyard and five outer courtyards. Burghausen is best admired in a panoramic view as to conceptualize its length of 3,448 feet.
It isn’t quite a moat but a canal is pretty close! Schloss Nordkirchen , located in North Rhine Westphalia, was built in the 18th century and calls itself the “Versailles of Germany”. It was originally one of the residences of Prince-Bishopric of Münster.
It would not be a list of German castles without this undeniable Bavarian favorite. King of Bavaria Ludwig II built the castle in order to withdraw from public life after losing his title post-Austro-Prussian War. Construction began in 1868 and took quite a long time to finish—so long in fact, that Ludwig never saw the final version which was finished in 1892.
So beautiful was this final castle that Disney took notice and based Cinderella’s castle off of it! It now attracts over 6,000 visitors a day in summer.
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