Are you thinking of visiting the most beautiful castles in Germany? Today I’ll take you to discover one of the castles I visited back in 2018, one that has truly stayed in my heart: the beautiful Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz), a fairytale stronghold set in an equally dreamlike region, among the hills of the Eifel a stone’s throw from the Moselle valley.
Eltz Castle sits in a fairly isolated spot, just above the Elzbach river, and it’s worth visiting for the scenery alone: the ideal place to relax on a fine day.
The place where Eltz Castle stands looks like a village of fairies, but it’s much more than that: this manor’s history is intense and surprising.
Fancy hearing it?
Let’s go!
A castle for three families
We often imagine castles were built by immensely rich nobles to show off their magnificence and military might, but it wasn’t always so.
Eltz Castle, in fact, is a Ganerbenburg: a collective castle, a sort of noble “condominium”.
But what does that mean?
Basically the descendants of the lord of Eltz, unable to afford a castle each, joined together and pooled their funds to build a single castle divided into several parts, one for each branch of the family. Inside Eltz Castle you’ll therefore find the residences of three different houses: the Rübenach, the Rodendorf and the Kempenich.
And the most incredible thing is that the castle has belonged to the same family for over 850 years, for as many as 33 generations!
Isn’t that amazing?
The history of Eltz Castle
The first record of Eltz Castle dates back to the time of Frederick Barbarossa (around 1157), but the current structure is the result of works spread over the centuries, with additions up to the 16th century.
One of the most fascinating facts concerns its historical continuity: the castle was never destroyed and always stayed with the same family. The only real military threat came with the so-called Eltz Feud (1331-1336): the lords of Eltz stood up to the Archbishop of Trier, Balduin of Luxembourg, who, to bring them to heel, had a siege castle built, the Trutzeltz, whose ruins can still be seen today. It was here, in 1331, that one of the first documented cannon attacks north of the Alps took place. The lords of Eltz submitted in 1333, but the castle survived intact.
There are three heraldic symbols for the houses: the golden lion, the silver lion and the buffalo horns. If you pay attention during your visit to Eltz Castle, you’ll spot them in the various wings, each corresponding to the family that lived there.
What is there to see?
One of the most interesting parts is the period furniture: tables, beds, chests, armour, a hunting arsenal, trophies and antiques of every kind. The treasury (Schatzkammer) can be visited by showing your ticket: here you can admire masterpieces of German gold- and silverwork from various eras.
Oh, and a gem: between 1965 and 1992 Eltz Castle was depicted on the German 500-mark banknote. A true national symbol!
Guided tour of Eltz Castle
The guide’s explanation was magnetic: I discovered things I’d never have imagined!
Want to hear one of the things that surprised me most?
They’re the little miniature cannons you can still see in some rooms. They were actually models brought by manufacturers to show the nobles the new versions, more functional or more “fashionable”: a kind of miniature catalogue. Once they’d served their purpose, they were used by children to practise or play.
Would you ever have guessed?
Another curious thing is that life among the three families was regulated by an actual code: a sort of condominium rulebook that everyone had to respect.
The symbolism of some rooms is beautiful too, like the rose of silence in the meeting room. Placed above the door, it meant that everything said inside was to remain secret.
“Everything you say will not leave this room!”
Next to the rose, on the walls, you can see curious jester masks: at the medieval court, jesters were the only ones allowed to say anything without being punished. A way to urge the knights to be sincere, not to take themselves too seriously and, at the same time, to keep secret whatever was said at the meeting.
How to visit Eltz Castle
Eltz Castle sits in the heart of a forest in the Moselle region. To reach it I recommend walking the scenic Eltzer Burgpanorama trail, one of the most beautiful nature paths in Germany: the first glimpse of the castle appearing among the trees will make up for the walk.
The castle is open from late March to early November, daily from 9:30 to 17:00. The adult ticket costs €14 (€7 for children and students, €34 the family ticket) and includes the guided tour. Tours leave roughly every 15 minutes and last about 45 minutes.
If you don’t have a car, bear in mind the castle is isolated: an organised day trip from Frankfurt with transport included solves the problem.
My impressions
I visited Eltz Castle thinking it would be more beautiful outside than in, but I had to think again.
Sadly, photos aren’t allowed inside, but I assure you it’s worth going in and listening to the many stories the guide tells. What struck me most is the sheer amount of original furnishings, which make it even more fascinating.
Nestled in a lush green forest and surrounded by a small cluster of houses, Eltz Castle really does look straight out of a fairy tale. I fell in love with it: and if you love Germany, take a look also at Cologne Cathedral and the Reichstag in Berlin, two more places that reveal the soul of this country.
