Nestled in the hills above the Moselle River is a medieval castle called Eltz Castle. It is one of the most famous historical castles from central Germany. It has managed to survive for over 800 years of its history and remains one of the only preserved castles residing on the river Rhine region.
The Eltz Castle was built on the road which was frequented by Romans, and it was built on 70m high rock hill which happens to be surrounded by the Elzbach River. It was built in the 12th century with cooperation from three local lords. They had collected substantial money for its construction. These families still own the castle, and almost 33 generations of them are in charge of its upkeep and renovations. Today, there are two sections of the castle which are open for tourists, with the third one being home to Kempenich family. This castle is known to have eight floors, 100 rooms, and eight towers. The castle has an average height of about 30 and 40 meters.
A castle so unique
The famous Burg Eltz castle remained unaffected by wars. Also, it has been owned and taken care by the same family from when it was built till today. The architecture is incomparable and has many original furnishings of the past eight centuries. It also houses a treasury and armory boasting world-class artworks in gold and silver. The castle is surrounded by the Eltz forest, full of several trees and animals.
Highlights of the Castle
When you visit the Burg Eltz castle, you would feel like entering a fairy tale! It has Tudor style buildings along with cone-shaped roofs, making it one of the beautiful castles in Germany. In case you want to visit the interiors of the castle you need to purchase tickets which are available in the gift shop for a guided tour. The tour is designed in such a way that it begins in the courtyard and continues into the armory. The tour ends at the Knights Hall. This room is filled with unusual items which date back to the 16th century like the armors and panel paintings depicting the Old Testament
Visit the Treasure Chamber, after taking the beautiful castle tour. Here you’ll find a vast collection of fine art and treasures collected by the Eltz family for almost 900 years. Gold, coins, sacred objects, weapons, jewelry, are of the collection present here having many historical relevances.
Location
This beautiful castle is surrounded on its three sides by the mighty Elzbach River, which is a tributary towards the north portion of the Moselle. The castle is situated on a 70 m rock spur as mentioned above which is an important Roman trade route between markets and the fertile farmlands.
Description
The castle is known to be a Ganerbenburg, in other words, a castle that belongs to a community of joint heirs.The castle is divided into several parts as per the various branches of the family. It usually occurs when there are multiple owners of one or more territories who jointly build a castle to house themselves. Only wealthy lords could afford to build such a grand castle. Such lords’ had taken the knight’s house which was just a house, precisely bigger than those of his tenants. In the case of Eltz, the family decided to divide it into three branches and at the same time the existing castle was enhanced with three different complexes.
The primary and the interesting parts of the castle is that of the family portions. These tall towers reach heights up to 30 to 40 meters and goes up to eight stories. They have been built with sound and durable exterior walls along with a yard they present a partial framework. It has been recovered that almost 100 members of the owner’s families had lived in over 100 rooms of the castle.
The oldest part of the castle, the platteltz is a Romanesque keep and had begun construction in the 9thcentury as a simple manor that has earthen palisade. Around the time of 1157, the fortress was a significant part of the empire under Frederick Barbarossa. During 1472, the Rübenach house, which is built in late Gothic style, would be loved.
Visit this place with your family and friends and experience this amazing cultural monument. Tourists from all over the world visit the castle every year to explore the Burg Eltz. An ideal time to visit the castle would be during the summers, when the temperatures are moderate enough. The temperature drops to freezing levels during the winters and hence, is not recommended for tourists, especially for those who belong to warmer parts of the globe.
How to visit Burg Eltz
Location
Reaching the Burg Eltz is just an easy drive anywhere along the Mosel River as the castle in located in the Mosel valley. It can also be an idea to plan for your next day trip from the Rhine valley. You can spend your day exploring the areas around the Burg Eltz.
Getting there
You can reach Burg Eltz in a variety of ways. You may have to combine options unless you have plans of driving till there. You will find easily described details regarding this in the Burg Eltz website. There are a number of options available for you, depending on the choice of vehicle and budget.
Car (or Taxi): you need to be careful while driving and follow the signs strictly because many will not lead you to the castle’s parking lot. Use a GPS and head towards the town of Wierschem and follow the signs from there. You will also find several paid parking places above the castle area. From the parking lot area, you can choose to walk downhill on a footpath which has been built for convenience taking up almost 10 minutes to reach the castle. Or else you can even take the castle shuttle bus which arrives every 10 minutes and costs 2 euros per person.
Public Transit: on weekends and public holidays, there is a bus which runs. It can be taken from various towns along the area of Mosel to reach Burg Eltz. You just need to check the schedules so that you won’t miss the bus.
Boat: another cool option you have is to hop onto a boat along the river Mosel. It stops at either Karden or Moselkern from where you can either go by foot to the castle or take a taxi. Choosing this mode of transport would be very adventurous and loved by all.
Train: the nearest train stations for the Burg Eltz are in Karden and Moselkern. Just like the boats from here you can either choose to take a taxi or a bus depending on the day or better just hike to the castle and enjoy the scenic beauty. A train journey is what most tourists prefer, owing to the rich scenic beauty that they can witness during the journey.
Time:
You can visit the castle between 9 am to 5.30 pm as it is open during this time for the visitors. A tour guide guides all the visitors. The guided tours which are available in other languages include English, French and Dutch, but they are less frequent. You will find the translations of the tours in various languages easily.
Cost:
Currently, the cost for adults is 9 euros. There are few issues regarding the students, family, friends and large groups. Cards are accepted when undertaking a big order, so be sure to keep enough cash ready for the terrace parking, fees, shuttle, and bus. It is also advisable to visit in groups if you’re on a tight budget as that would save a lot of money for all of you.
The beautiful Burg Eltz is one of the must-visit places you should go with your family and friends. This mysterious place will surely help you make a lot of memories which you can cherish forever. So go ahead and plan a journey to this amazing place and explore the best of Burg Eltz with your dear ones, you won’t regret it!