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Neuschwanstein Castle

Top 5 Most Beautiful Castles In Germany

This is all about the Top 5 Most Beautiful Castles In Germany.  Germany, without a doubt, boasts Europe’s best collection of beautiful castles! There are almost 20,000 castles in Germany, so visitors will have plenty to pick from. These include defensive Medieval marvels as well as fantasy castles straight from a fairytale. Some of these amazing monuments were created to protect towns, while others were created solely for enjoyment. Some of these places inspired the Brothers Grimm to write timeless tales, served as the setting for Frankenstein’s laboratory, and even served as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s iconic castle. 

Here is a list of the Top 5 Most Beautiful Castles in Germany to inspire your imagination, with turrets, towers, and drawbridges that will transport you to another century or a fairy tale.

Here are the Top 5 Most Beautiful Castles In Germany:

(1) Neuschwanstein Castle

(2) Hohenzollern Castle

(3) Schwerin Castle

(4) Heidelberg Castle

(5) Wartburg Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein, the crown gem of Europe’s fairytale castles and Germany’s best castle, is nestled on the edge of the mountains south of Munich. The castle was conceived in the mind of “Mad” King Ludwig of Bavaria, who commissioned it with his own personal wealth as a dream escape from the world. Neuschwanstein is so stunning that it was chosen as the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle by Walt Disney. It’s an extravagant combination of spires, turrets, battlements, and pitched roofs built atop a rocky cliff surrounded by woodland.  It’s a blend between neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic mixed with a little fairytale. It is not just one of Germany’s top castles to see, but it may also be the best fairytale castle in the world.

Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral home of the House of Hohenzollern, Germany’s imperial family. It is one of Europe’s most magnificent castles. Built in the early 1200s, the old fortress was destroyed in 1423. In 1454, a larger and more fortified successor was built, but by the beginning of the 19th century, it had fallen into disrepair. The current neo-Gothic fortified structure was built in 1850 by King Frederick William IV. The opulent residence is housed within a walled fortification with an amazing entrance. The Hohenzollerns still own and occupy the castle, and several members of the royal family are buried in the castle cemetery. Despite being private property, the castle is nevertheless open to the public.

Schwerin Castle

Schwerin Castle

Unlike many other castles, which sit atop steep hills or perch on rocky crags for defence, this mega sized castle sits on an island in the middle of Schwerin Lake.  There has been a fortress here since AD 973 and In 1850, Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II ordered a complete reconstruction that retained only parts of the 16th and 17th century building. The results were the current somewhat fanciful castle with Its onion domed cupolas, tea caddy tower, and pointed spires. The opulent interior gleams once again and the highlight is the magnificent Throne Room. Seeing the castle over the lake and touring the vast gardens are an amazing way to spend part of a day.

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle

The castle started in 1196 with the upper castle which was followed by the lower castle in 1212 which was completed in 1225.  The biggest expansion happened when Holy Roman Emperor Rupert III decided to make the small castle into his palace in 1410.  At its peak, Heidelberg Castle was considered the grandest palace of the Renaissance.  It fell victim to an enormous fire in 1764 that was caused by a freak lightning bolt which has left it uninhabitable but the most picturesque and largest castle ruin in Germany. The Romantic period of the 19th century brought about renewed interest in the ruins, and today the castle attracts many visitors.  Concert performances and festivals are held in the courtyard, and three times each summer there are huge fireworks displays.

Wartburg Castle

Wartburg Castle

At the turn of the 13th century, Wartburg was one of the most prominent castles in the region. The castle’s most famous claim to fame occurred in 1521, when Frederick the Wise allowed religious icon Martin Luther asylum in the castle following his excommunication by Pope Leo X. The entire Bible was translated from ancient Greek into German by Luther. In the next centuries, the castle fell into neglect and decay, but was renovated in the 19th century during the Romantic Period’s ardour, and is now a popular tourist attraction. You’ll find a courtyard encircled by half-timbered structures and battlemented parapets, as well as magnificently renovated rooms and a medieval banquet hall with spectacular frescoes, as you enter through the medieval drawbridge.