The Best German Castles

In the past few years I have been able to visit a lot of really beautiful castles all over Germany. It is one of my favorite things to do! We do not have any castles where I grew up, so I’ve been fascinated by castles since I was young. I always make a priority when I am in Germany to see visit castles.

This list is based on my favorite castles that I have been to, then at the bottom there are a few listed that I still want to go that sound amazing. I’ve pinned them on this map below so you can get a visual of where each castle is located. Also, to help your planning I’ve added all the links to the castle’s websites in the name of each castle, which will give you more specific information; most of them have English sections to their websites.

Burg Eltz

Such a perfect castle! This one had been on my castle dream list for many years and I finally got to visit it in the summer of 2017! It is a really special castle worth going out of your way for. It was quite busy since it is the summer so it was a bit difficult to get the picture on the left side. This castle is surrounded by beautiful forests with no city in sight.

Entrance fees- €10 adults, €6.50 students, and family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) €28. It is possible to get there by public transport or by car. Once you park your car you’ll have to walk about 15 minutes through the woods on a trail before you will see it, there is also a paid shuttle available that can drop you off at the front gate.

Schloss Marienburg

This is probably my favorite German castle; because it is exactly what you think about when you think of a castle. Family jewels, spiral stair cases, pointed roofs, a guarding front gate, all perfectly situated up high on a hill. Oh, so perfect! I visited in winter of 2016 and did a guided tour, and it was pretty cold and without many other tourists. It is about 20 km away from the city of Hanover in Northern Germany.

Entrance fees- €9 for Adults, €6.50 for children (6-17), and under 5 free. It is possible to get there by bus from the main station of Hanover, although car is a bit easier.

Schloss Drachenburg

Which translates to Dragon Castle, is a mixture of a mansion, villa and castle. It is near the city of Bonn and located on the beautiful Rhine river. Be prepared for a big walk up a huge hill or to pay (€10 for a roundtrip ticket) to take the train to the top. I walked and it took about 25 minutes and it made the amazing view at the top well earned. For this castle you don’t have to have to go on a guided tour to see inside, you can just wander about throughout the whole castle which is really cool. Only disappointment was that all of the displays were in German, so it was a bit hard to understand the history but it was still cool to see. You cannot even really see the castle or gardens unless you pay to get in the entrance.

Entrance fees- €7 Adults, €5 students and children (6-17years old), €17 family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) and children under 5 are free. You can get there by car or by train.

Burg Hohenzollern

This castle is another great one just a Castle on the Hill (get the Ed Sheeran reference). It is situated south of Stuttgart near the town Hechingen. While it is another steep hike to the top, it is very worth it! You’ll feel as though you’ve been transported back in time as you walk up the winding entrance. You’ll also get a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding area. Most days the inside of the castle is only viewable by a guided tour, but some days of the year they will let you wander inside the castle for as long as you like.

Entrance fees for the visit of the castle rooms- €12 Adults, €6 children (6-17years old), €10 students, €28 family ticket (2 adults and 4 children) and children under 5 are free. You can get there by car or a train to Hechingen then a free shuttle bus to one of the parking lots of the castle.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

This is the most famous German castle. Everyone knows about this as the castle Walt Disney got the idea for his castle. I’ve visited Neuschwanstein three different times! It is truly a really magnificent castle; it is just over run by tourists. If you plan on going try to make it there early in the morning before many people and tours arrive. Also, make sure you get on the bridge behind the castle to get really great shots of it (like the one above)!

Entrance fees- €13 Adults, €12 students, children 18 & under are free. It is about a two hour train ride from Munich to Füssen, then a ten minute bus ride, then a big walk up the hill to the castle. I would suggest taking a day trip from Munich to see it or spending one night in Füssen to make the most of the castle and area.

Schloss Heidelberg

This is another wonderful castle that attracts more than a million visitors each year. It is located South East of Mannheim in the city of Heidelberg. It is perched on the top of a big hill over looking the entire city! Really beautiful views again worth the hike to get up there! I’ve visited the castle two different times each really enjoying my visit. I would suggest spending a day or two in the city of Heidelberg as it is a beauty with a lot of different things to do.

Entrance fees- €7 Adults, €4 students & children; a guided tour is an additional fee. You can get to Heidelberg easily by car or train.

Reichsburg Cochem

Cochem Castle is unique and beautiful. It is located on the Mosel river in a deep valley in Western Germany. This whole area is super cute. I suggest walking through the quaint town if you have time to or even staying there for a night. You may only see inside the castle with a guided tour; which operate at different times throughout the day in German and English with translation sheets available in 12 other languages.

Entrance fees- €6 Adults, €5 students, €3 children (6-17) and under 5 is free. It is possible to get to Cochem by car or train.

Schloss Ludwigsburg

While this is what I would consider more of a palace, Ludwigsburg castle is a beautiful Baroque building located just north of Stuttgart. It was completed in 1733 and has a whopping 542 rooms! You could spend hours just exploring the massive gardens around the palace too. It is definitely worth a trip to visit! It was designed to look like Versailles in Paris; so you know it is a grand building!

Entrance fees- €7 Adults, €3.50 students & children.

Schloss Schwetzingen

The small town of Schwetzingen is located near Mannheim & Heidelberg and has this beautiful palace! I only paid to get into the gardens of the castle and it was amazing! You could spend several hours just exploring the huge gardens. They have a Turkish Garden area, the old bath houses and so much more! It is perfect for few hours, bring a little picnic and enjoy.

Entrance fees for the gardens in the summer- €6 Adults, €3 students & children. It is possible to get there by car, train or bus.

Nymphenburg Palace

Nymphenburg Palace is a lovely palace on the outskirts of Munich. You can take a half-day trip from the city center to visit it. I have visited it several times because it is so close to Munich but I have never paid to tour the inside. I’ve only ever walked through the beautiful gardens on the outside.

Entrance fees for the gardens in the summer- €8 Adults, €7 students & children. It is possible to get there by car or public transportation from Munich.

That is my list of my favorite castles in Germany that I have visited! Hopefully, you’ve found a new castle to add to your bucket list. Also, here are a few castles that I haven’t visited but are on my bucket list:

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