Once upon a time queens and kings roamed the castles in Germany.  From Neuschwanstein Castle, and Hohenzollern Castle to Eltz Castle, they were the epitome of glamour and royalty. Fairy tales come to life through these real-life castles in Germany. Did you know that  inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty’s castle? Here are some of the most enchanting castles in Germany and what you need to know to see them for yourself.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most well-visited castles in Germany. It is busiest from July to September, so expect long lines. It is the same castle which inspired the famous Sleeping Beauty castle. The small town of Hohenschwangau sits at the base of the castle. Tickets for touring Neuschwanstein Castle should be purchased in the town prior to your visit. Hotel  Villa Ludwig is walking distance to the ticket office, where tickets can be purchased for Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau Castle and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings.

After purchasing your ticket, you can can arrange transportation up to the castle. The most comfortable options appear to be by horse and carriage and by bus.  Both options will require some walking, because the transportation can’t deliver passengers directly in front of Neuschwanstein Castle. So, you can expect a 10 to 15 minute walk.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Castles in Germany: Hohenschwangau Castle by Michelle Callahan

Hohenschwangau Castle, in the town of Hohenschwangau (the same town where Neuschwanstein Castle is located. Transportation by horse and carriage to Hohenschwangau Castle can be arranged just before you leave for for the castle. You pay the driver for the carriage ride.  Keep in mind that the carriage does not operate during the winter months.

Hohenzollern Castle

Beautiful Castles in Germany: Hohenzollern Castle by BrookCatherine53

Hohenzollern Castle is on the outskirts of Baden-Wurttemberg. Tours for Hohenzollern Castle are approximately 45 minutes long, and the tour guide will most likely speak only German. Tours in English, however, are given on weekends.  Tickets are about $14 per adult for general admission. Beginning in 2018, there are Hohenzollern Castle strolls available, which allow guests to visit the castle’s rooms without the traditional tour with time limitations.

Public transportation, buses and trains, are available to the castle. Check the schedule.  Unsere Stadtvilla is a hotel that’s only about 2 miles away from Hohenzollern Castle.

Schloss Schwerin Castle

Photo of Schwerin Schloss by Jana Reifegerste

Schwerin Castle is in the town of Schwerin in the state of  Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the north part of  Germany near the Baltic Sea. The oldest parts of the existing castle were built in the 16th Century.

To get to the castle take a flight into the Fuhlsbüttel Airport in Hamburg and then take a train to Schwerin Central Station (Schwerin hbf – Hauptbahnhof). You can then even walk to the castle or take a taxi there. The Hotel Niederlandischer Hof is a short walk from the train station and only .7 miles away from the Schwerin Castle.  Call ahead of your visit to arrange a tour with a guide (the more expensive option) or you could have a self-guided audio tour (the less expensive option). Buy your tickets at castle’s museum office.

Wernigerode Castle

Located in the town with the same name as the castle, Wernigerode Castle, actually towers over the town and it takes a hike, a rather steep hike, to get there. Or if you would rather not hike up the hill, take the little train behind the Town Hall (Rathaus in German) to get up to the castle.  You can also try looking for signs for the train in the Tourism Office. There is another train company that operates behind the HKK Hotel.  It’s much easier to take the train up, especially since there is a lot of walking and  stairs in the castle itself.

To get there, take a flight into Hamberg or Berlin  to the Harz Mountains. From the Harz mountains, you’ll likely take a train to Wernigerode. There’s a train station in the town. Here is the train schedule.

Burg Stahleck Castle

Amazing Castles in Germany: Burg Stahleck Castle by Wei-te Wong

The Burg Stahleck Castle in Bacharach, Germany has a surprise inside. It’s actually a hostel, so there’s nothing to see inside, unless you are generally curious about what a castle-turned-hostel would look like. And it’s a hike to get up to the castle, anyway. The good news is that it’s a great place to view the town, and the outside of the castle is pretty neat to photograph. If you do stay at the hostel, you’ll definitely need a reservation.

To get here, you’ll want to take a flight into Frankfurt. From Frankfurt, find the train station (downstairs from terminal 1)and take one of the regional trains going to  Mainz. The Koblenz stop will be final stop. Use this train guide to help you get to the Burg Stahleck Castle.

Zwinger Palace

Fairy Tale Castles in Germany: Zwinger Palace by Steve

Zwinger Castle is located in the city of Dresden, where there happens to be an international airport, the Dresden International Airport.

It is a Baroque-style palace, which now accommodates world-famous art collections. The palace is said to be one of the best examples of Baroque-style architecture.  There are actually several museums in the palace, with styles ranging from old masterpieces to a museum on weapons of war. The Zwinger holds art that is representative of artists from around the world.

From your hotel in Dresden,  you can take a taxi or public transportation to Zwinger palace. The Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski (ranking #10 on TripAdvisor) is the closest hotel, but the Hyperion Hotel Dresden am Schloss is the second closest hotel, and it is rated at the #2 hotel in Dresden on TripAdvisor.

Lichtenstein Castle

Located in Baden-Wurttemberg, Lichtenstein Castle was inspired by the novel, Lichtenstein by Wilhelm Hauff. Built between 1840 and 1842, the Gothic-style Lichtenstein Castle sits high up on a cliff. Other castles have stood in this location, so Lichtenstein Castle is considered a relatively modern castle.  Be forewarned that although it is certainly worthy of a selfie background, Lichtenstein Castle is very small.

Stuttgart Airport is the nearest airport to Lichtenstein castle. Check out this TripAdvisor list of the closest hotels to Lichtenstein castle.

Schloss Drachenburg Castle

Schloss Drachenburg is yet another one of Germany’s beautiful castles. It is found on top of Drachenfels Hill, overlooking the Rhine, and near Bonn. Actually, the Schloss Drachenburg was originally constructed to serve as a villa, so you might think that it looks a little more like a home. If you want to go the self-guided route, you can pay the admission price to enter the castle and visit selected rooms inside (rooms on the noble level).

The Stuttgart Airport is the nearest airport to Schloss Drachenburg Castle. It’s two hours away from the castle. From there, you can take the German Railway and make it to the Königswinter exit to get to the castle. Buy your railway tickets at the airport.

Burg Eltz Castle

Burg Eltz Castle in Wierschem is yet another fairy tale castle in Germany. It’s best to arrive there via the Frankfurt Airport and then use the train to get closer. The castle in basically in the woods, so you’d have to take a taxi to get there from the train station. Burg Eltz Castle has a beautiful bridge that leads to the castle, itself. If you get there early enough, you can get some gorgeous pictures on it. You’ll need to arrange a tour to get inside the Burg Eltz Castle. It’s much easier to get a hotel near Burg Eltz Castle and come and go as you wish. Here are some of your choices.

What Are Your Favorite Castles in Germany?