Castle sights in Germany
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A
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Appearing through the mountaintops like a misty mirage is the world's most famous castle, and the model for Disney's citadel, Schloss Neuschwanstein.
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Schloss Ortenburg
Schloss Ortenburg sits on a strategic cliff-top spot that's been occupied by a series of castles since the 7th century. You enter the complex through its most interesting structure, the late-Gothic Matthiasturm (Matthias Tower), named for the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus who ruled over the region in the late 15th century - you can see him depicted on horseback as a monumental relief on the tower.
The main palace houses a regional courthouse and is not open to the public. A smaller one, off the courtyard, contains the Sorbisches Museum, which displays Sorb folk art, musical instruments, costumes and other items in the old salt storehouse.
Across the square is Bautzen's …
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Schloss Stolzenfels
With its crenellated towers, ornate gables and medieval-style fortifications, Schloss Stolzenfels, 5km south of the town centre above the Rhine's left bank, exudes the timeless, sentimental beauty for which the Romantic Rhine is famed. In 1823, the future Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV fell under its spell and had the castle - ruined by the French - rebuilt as his summer residence; during the Victorian era, guests included Queen Victoria. Today, the rooms remain largely as the king left them, with paintings, weapons, armour and furnishings from the mid-19th century.
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Schloss Linderhof
A pocket-sized trove of weird treasures, Schloss Linderhof was Ludwig II's smallest but most sumptuous palace, and the only one he lived to see fully completed. Finished in 1878, the palace hugs a steep hillside in a fantasy landscape of French gardens, fountains and follies. The reclusive king used the palace as a retreat and hardly ever received visitors here. Like Herrenchiemsee, Linderhof was inspired by Versailles and dedicated to Louis XIV, the French 'sun king'.
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Burg Rheinfels
The sprawling ruins of Burg Rheinfels was once the mightiest fortress on the Rhine. Built in 1245 by Count Dieter V of Katzenelnbogen as a base for his toll-collecting operations, its size and labyrinthine layout are truly astonishing. Not only kids will love exploring the subterranean tunnels and galleries. To get there, you can walk for 20 minutes up the hill from the youth hostel or drive (parking fee required).
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Schloss Marienburg
A small part of the palace, Schloss Marienburg, is open to members of the public interested in a behind-the-scenes glimpse of German aristocratic life. Admission is by a one-hour tour, either with a tour guide or using an audio guide (English, French, Polish and Russian available). Tours include the Knight's Hall, Queen's Library and more.
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Schloss Hohenschwangau
Ludwig spent his formative years at the sun-yellow Schloss Hohenschwangau. His father, Maximilian II, rebuilt this palace in a neo-Gothic style from 12th-century ruins left by Schwangau knights. With all this faux medieval imagery filling his childhood, no wonder Ludwig turned out the way he did.
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ega
West of the city centre is the ega, a huge garden showground centred on Cyriaksburg castle (Gothaer Strasse 38). Take tram 2 from Anger.
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