Castles of Germany
map viewGermany is a castle country, and this list brings together 24 castles, palaces and fortified towns we have visited and mapped. Start in Bavaria with Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, the fairy-tale palaces of King Ludwig II, then follow the Rhine and Moselle to Eltz, Marksburg and Reichsburg Cochem. Heidelberg's red-sandstone ruins, hilltop Hohenzollern and the Wartburg in Eisenach are classics, while Königstein Fortress and Schwerin Palace are rewarding detours in the east and north. Walled towns such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber are free to explore; castle tickets range from about €6 to €23.50. June to September brings the warmest and driest days.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
The Royal Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany is the prototype for Disneyland Castle.
Eltz Castle near Koblenz, Germany
A romantic medieval castle rising straight from a forested valley near the Moselle, owned by the same family for more than 850…
Heidelberg Castle, Germany
The romantic red-sandstone ruins of the Electors Palatine above Heidelberg's Old Town — Renaissance façades, the giant wine barrel and sweeping Neckar…
Rothenburg ob der Tauber old city and fortress, Germany
Germany's most famous medieval town on the Romantic Road with a complete ring of walls and towers.
Hohenzollern Castle, Germany
It is one of Germany’s most impressive hilltop fortresses, located atop Mount Hohenzollern in the Baden-Württemberg region.
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel, Germany
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is the largest hillside park in Europe and one of Germany’s most spectacular cultural landscapes.
Tangermünde old city & castle, Germany
A jewel of North German Brick Gothic on the Elbe — a near-complete medieval wall, an ornate town hall and Charles IV's…
Ludwigsburg Palace, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Germany's largest Baroque palace, the 452-room “Swabian Versailles” of the Dukes of Württemberg, surrounded by grand gardens famous for their “Blooming Baroque”…
Wartburg castle, Eisenach, Germany
Wartburg Castle is one of the most important and best-preserved medieval castles in Germany.
Holsten Gate of Lübeck, Germany
Lübeck's iconic twin-towered brick-Gothic city gate, a leaning survivor of the Hanseatic city's medieval fortifications and one of the most recognisable landmarks…
Wernigerode castle & old city, Germany
A colourful half-timbered town in the Harz mountains crowned by a romantic hilltop castle, with a famous Gothic town hall and steam…
Linderhof Palace, Bavaria, Germany
The smallest and most intimate of King Ludwig II's fairy-tale palaces and the only one he lived to see completed, a gilded…
Burghausen castle and old city, Germany
The world's longest castle, a kilometre-long chain of towers, gates and courtyards running along a ridge above the old town of Burghausen…
Porta Nigra roman city gate, Trier, Germany
Porta Nigra (“Black Gate”) is the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps.
Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl, Germany
he Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust are famous as some of the earliest and finest Rococo palaces in Germany
Dinkelsbühl old city and fortress, Bavaria, Germany
One of Germany's most complete medieval towns on the Romantic Road — an intact ring of walls, towers and gates around a…
Büdingen old city and fortress, Hessen, Germany
A near-complete ring of medieval walls and towers in Hesse, guarding a half-timbered old town and the Ysenburg family's castle.
Marksburg Castle in Braubach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
The only hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine never to have been destroyed, standing perfectly preserved above the town of Braubach in…
Reichsburg Cochem castle, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
A romantic neo-Gothic castle towering on a vineyard hill above the Moselle town of Cochem, rebuilt in the 19th century from the…
Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, Germany
Berlin's largest and grandest palace, the Baroque and Rococo summer residence of the Prussian royals, set in sweeping riverside gardens with a…
Schwerin Palace, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
A fairy-tale neo-Renaissance palace of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg, rising from its own island in Lake Schwerin and now a UNESCO…
Quedlinburg abbey and castle, Germany
Quedlinburg Abbey is a historic religious complex located above the medieval town of Quedlinburg in central Germany.
Roman fort Saalburg, Bad Homburg, Germany
Saalburg is a reconstructed Roman fort located near Bad Homburg in the German state of Hesse.
Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
One of Europe's largest hilltop fortresses, never conquered in eight centuries, spread across a sheer sandstone table mountain high above the Elbe…
Castles in Germany on the map
Numbers match the ranking above. Click a pin to open the place.
Best time to visit castles in Germany
When sightseeing is most pleasant: comfortable 18–26 °C daytime temperatures and more dry days. Averaged over 24 places.
ERA5 climate data 2015–2024 (Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), averaged for 24 places on this page.
Tickets: what it costs to visit castles in Germany
Adult entrance prices, cheapest first. What the ticket includes and what you can see for free.
| Place | Region | Adult ticket | Ticket includes | Free without a ticket | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porta Nigra roman city gate | Rhineland-Palatinate | €6 | Inside the gate | — | |
| Wernigerode castle & old city | Saxony-Anhalt | €7 | Castle museum | Old town | |
| Burghausen castle and old city | Bavaria | €7 | Main castle museum | Castle grounds | |
| Holsten Gate of Lübeck | Schleswig-Holstein | €8 | Holstentor museum | Gate from outside | |
| Reichsburg Cochem castle | Rhineland-Palatinate | €8–9 | Guided castle tour | — | |
| Quedlinburg abbey and castle | Saxony-Anhalt | €8–10 | Abbey and castle | — | |
| Roman fort Saalburg | Hessen | €8 | Roman fort | — | Reduced €6 |
| Schwerin Palace | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | €8.50 | Palace museum | Gardens | |
| Heidelberg Castle | Baden-Württemberg | €9 | Funicular, courtyard, Great Tun, Pharmacy Museum | — | Interior tour extra |
| Ludwigsburg Palace | Baden-Württemberg | €9 | Palace tour | — | Baroque gardens €11.50 |
| Marksburg Castle in Braubach | Rhineland-Palatinate | €9 | Guided castle tour | — | Visits by guided tour only |
| Hohenzollern Castle | Baden-Württemberg | €10 | Castle ticket | — | |
| Linderhof Palace | Bavaria | €10 | Palace | Park | With Venus Grotto €18 |
| Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl | North Rhine-Westphalia | €11 | Augustusburg Palace | — | |
| Eltz Castle near Koblenz | Rhineland-Palatinate | €12–14 | Guided castle tour | — | Visits by guided tour only |
| Wartburg castle | Thuringia | €13 | Castle tour | — | |
| Königstein Fortress | Saxony | €13–15 | Fortress | — | |
| Charlottenburg Palace | Berlin | €19 | Palace (charlottenburg+ ticket) | Gardens | |
| Neuschwanstein Castle | Bavaria | €23.50 | Palace tour | — | |
| Rothenburg ob der Tauber old city and fortress | Bavaria | Free | — | Old town and town walls | |
| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe | Hessen | Free | — | Park | |
| Tangermünde old city & castle | Saxony-Anhalt | Free | — | Old town and castle grounds | |
| Dinkelsbühl old city and fortress | Bavaria | Free | — | Old town and walls | |
| Büdingen old city and fortress | Hessen | Free | — | Old town and town wall | Castle by paid guided tour |
Prices checked in September 2026. Always check the official website before you go.
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