Living in Germany is pretty amazing for many reasons including the great wine, biergartens, festivals, and history. The country is gorgeous with its thick forests, half-timbered houses, historic churches, pristine parks, lakes, mountains, and of course, castles. There are literally thousands of castles in this country and over 100 in the state of Baden-Württemberg, alone! There is something magical about taking a road trip and spotting these towering, fancifully designed structures protruding from mountains and hilltops. Visiting them up close makes for an even more epic experience and provides some great learning opportunities and breathtaking views.
I listed five castles in Baden-Württemberg that I’ve visited (some several times!) with helpful information to help you plan your visit. The history of each is varied and unique.
Heidelberg Castle (German: Heidelberger Schloss)
Located above the historic old town of Heidelberg with wonderful views of the old city, Neckar River, and surrounding forests. You can visit the gardens, castle interior, Apothecary Museum, and the Heidelberg Tun which is the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel” built in 1751 and holds 220,000 liters of wine!
You can arrive to the castle by car or train, parking in the Old Town (Zentrum or Stadtmitte). Once you arrive, there are three suggested ways to get to the top (car parking is very difficult). You can challenge yourself with a walk up a winding road, or by climbing the 315 steps (which are numbered to show you how much further you have to go!), or by catching the short, easy way up on the funicular (Burgbahn), which is near the Kornmarkt parking lot.
English tours are available! Ticket prices, maps, and additional visitor information can be found here
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