Castles and palaces of Germany worth visiting

Germany has over 20,000 castles, fortresses and palaces, from medieval strongholds on cliffs to lavish royal residences. Many are open to visitors and easy to combine with trips to Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Berlin. Here are 6 German castles and palaces worth seeing.

The most beautiful castles in Germany: where they are

Castle	State	Nearest big city
Neuschwanstein Castle	Bavaria	Munich
Hohenzollern Castle	Baden-Württemberg	Stuttgart
Eltz Castle	Rhineland-Palatinate	Koblenz
Heidelberg Castle	Baden-Württemberg	Frankfurt
Wartburg Castle	Thuringia	Erfurt
Sanssouci Palace	Potsdam	Berlin

1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria

The fairy-tale castle of King Ludwig II above Schwangau near Füssen, built in the second half of the 19th century. It inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Tour tickets are booked online in advance, and the best view is from the Marienbrücke bridge.

2. Hohenzollern Castle, Baden-Württemberg

The ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which produced the kings of Prussia and the German emperors. It stands on a mountain top in the Swabian Jura near Stuttgart, with views for dozens of kilometres.

3. Eltz Castle, Rhineland-Palatinate

A medieval castle on a rock in the wooded Elz valley, a tributary of the Moselle. It was never destroyed and has belonged to the same family for over 850 years, so its original interiors survive.

4. Heidelberg Castle, Baden-Württemberg

The ruins of the grand castle of the Electors Palatine above Heidelberg and the Neckar, a symbol of German Romanticism. Inside is one of the largest wine barrels in the world.

5. Wartburg Castle, Thuringia

A medieval castle above the town of Eisenach and a UNESCO site. Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German here, and its halls hosted the famous contest of the Minnesingers.

6. Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

The summer residence of the Prussian king Frederick the Great in Potsdam near Berlin. The Rococo palace sits above terraced vineyards, surrounded by a vast UNESCO-listed park with other palaces.