South-Western Germany is not only a place of amazing natural beauty, but also a place of outstanding architectural objects. On the territory of two regions – Baden Wurttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate – you can find many castles and palaces that have been preserved from different periods of time; some are only ruins, others have surprisingly not been damaged, and others have been carefully restored.
The most beautiful castles in Baden-Wurttemberg include Heidelberg Castle and Schwetzingen Palace, Weikersheim Palace and Bruchsal Palace, Stuttgart Solitude Palace and Sigmaringen Castle, Rastatt Favorite Palace and Ludwigsburg Residence, Urach Residence and Hohenzollern Castle. In addition, other, less significant historical objects can be safely added to this list, such as the Mannheim Baroque Palace, the Rastatt Residence, the Ludwigsburg Favorite Palace, the Kirchheim Palace, and the Meersburg New Palace. The best of Rhineland-Palatinate castles include Cochem Castle, Eltz Castle, and Koblenz Castle.
The Most Beautiful Castles in Baden Wurttemberg
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg Castle is considered to be a classic of romanticism among German architectural objects. Although only the exterior of the castle has been preserved, the place remains one of the most visited among all attractions in Germany. This is explained by the authenticity of the facades and the special atmosphere characterized for the medieval town center of Heidelberg. The castle is open to the public every day from 8 am to 6 pm; entrance fee is charged and you can book a guided tour ahead by clicking here.
How to get there: The castle is located on a hill rising above Heidelberg; you can climb the mountain by cable car. The shortest way to get to Heidelberg is to use the regional or high-speed train. Heidelberg has a good train connection within the region as well as with large cities such as Frankfurt or Stuttgart. Tourists can also use a rented car to get to Heidelberg, using such online services as Holiday Extras. For instance, Frankfurt is connected to Heidelberg with motorways #A5 and A67. The distance is only 90 km. Stuttgart is located 116 km from Heidelberg and it is connected to it with motorways #A6 and A81.
Schwetzingen Palace
Another architectural site is located near Heidelberg, to be precise, 8 km from it, in the neighboring town of Schwetzingen. The architectural complex in Schwetzingen attracts attention both with its facades and its authentic interiors. It is also recommended to go around the landscaped park that surrounds the palace; here you can find many interesting sculptures and statues, as well as magnificent gardens. Entrance to the complex is paid; organized tours are available inside the palace. The complex is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm in summer and until 5 pm in winter. You can book a private tour of the castle here.
How to get there: you can get to Schwetzingen by train from Heidelberg in about half an hour with a short change in Mannheim. If you prefer a rented car, then follow the motorways #A81 and A6 from Stuttgart and motorways #A5 and A67 from Frankfurt.
Weikersheim Palace
The palace in Weikersheim is one of the best examples of Baroque in Germany. The lush palace is complemented by its gardens, also made in the Baroque style. Numerous halls of the palace are decorated with sculptures, exquisite decoration, while in the gardens of Weikersheim you can find a large number of statues, fountains, and the final element of the entire composition is a baroque arch. Entrance to both the palace and the park is paid. The doors of the complex are open daily until 6 pm.
How to get there: the town of Weikersheim is located away from the major cities of the Baden-Wurttemberg region. You can get here from Stuttgart by train with a short change in one of the smaller towns. The approximate travel time is from 2 to 2.5 hours, depending on the duration of the change.
The road distance between Stuttgart and Weikersheim is about 130 km. They are connected with #A81 motorway. The distance between Frankfurt and Weikersheim is 150 km. They are connected with #A3 motorway. You can also book a day tour from Stuttgart by clicking here.
Bruchsal Palace
Another delightful Baroque building can be found in the town of Bruchsal, where the Bruchsal Palace is located. Inside the palace there are rooms with restored interiors, stucco and painted ceilings and walls, but the main attraction of the palace is the Baroque staircase. The palace is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm, with an entrance fee.
How to get there: Bruchsal is located close to Karlsruhe; you can get here by regional train in just 20 minutes, without making changes. Trains between Karlsruhe and Bruchsal run every 20 minutes throughout the day. You can also use a car and get to Bruchsal Palace from Karlsruhe leading to the motorway #A5 (the distance is only 26 km).
Solitude Palace
In Stuttgart, the administrative center of Baden-Wurttemberg region, a beautiful architectural complex of the 18th century has been preserved called Solitude Palace. The palace is considered to have similar features of Sans Souci palace and is designed in the Baroque style with elements of Rococo and Classicism. For many years after its construction, Solitude Palace was the summer residence of the rulers of the Wurttemberg dynasty. Not only the exteriors of the building deserve observing, but also its interiors with numerous objects of art.
How to get there: There are direct trains to Stuttgart from many cities in the Baden-Wurttemberg region. Solitude Palace is located within the city and is easily accessible by all means of public transport.
Sigmaringen Castle
The small town of Sigmaringen in the south of Baden-Wurttemberg became famous for its majestic castle, which once served as the residence of the ruling dynasties. The castle has truly gigantic sizes, and its location on a hill adds to it picturesque views. The most beautiful thing here is that the castle managed to preserve not only its facades, but also its historical interiors. Currently, the halls of the castle house a Carriage Museum and an Armory Museum (the collection dates back to the Middle Ages).
The castle is open daily throughout the year. In summer, the opening hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, in winter, they are from 10 am to 4 pm. There is an entrance fee, and organized guided tours are also available.
How to get there: Sigmaringen is located away from major cities, so the trip from Stuttgart takes about 2.5 hours by bus or 2 hours by regional train. The relatively large town closest to Sigmaringen is Ulm. You can also get there from Ulm by regional train; the travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. You can also get to Sigmaringen from Stuttgart by car. It takes about 100 km (follow the motorway #B27). If you travel from Frankfurt, take road #A6 (the distance is approximately 300 km).
Rastatt Palace Favorite
Rastatt is notable for its two palace complexes. One of them – the official Rastatt Palace – is located in the town center, the second – the Favorite Palace – once served as the summer residence of local rulers. The Favorite Palace is recognized for its elegant baroque architecture, characteristic of the 18th century. There is a park around the palace, open to the public all year round.
There are also excursions inside the palace, but only in the spring and summer (opening hours are from 10 am to 6 pm; entrance to the palace is paid; entrance to the park is free).
How to get there: Rastatt is located close to major cities in the region such as Karlsruhe (20 km) and Baden-Baden (10 km). In both cases, you can get to the town by train or by car.
Ludwigsburg Palace
Ludwigsburg is a real pearl of southwestern Germany in terms of architecture! There are as many as 3 palaces located here, but the most outstanding example is the Ludwigsburg Palace, which became the backbone around which the town was built a little later. The architecture of the palace dates back to the 18th century and its baroque influences. The interiors of the palace have been preserved only partially. In particular, the apartments of Duke Charles have been restored and are open for inspection. In addition, the palace building houses a Fashion Museum and a Ceramics Museum.
The palace is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm; entrance to the museums is paid separately.
How to get there: The nearest major city, located just 15 km, is Stuttgart. You can get from Stuttgart directly to Ludwigsburg by direct train; the travel time varies from 15 minutes to half an hour.
Urach Residencial Palace
The town of Bad Urach is located just south of Stuttgart and became famous thanks to the 15th century castle that has been preserved here. From the outside, one would hardly guess that this massive building contains sophisticated halls in the Renaissance style, but it is so. The interiors of the Urach castle have been preserved in an authentic form; in addition, the castle boasts a collection of sleighs that have remained here since the time of the ruling dynasties. The castle is open to the public every day; admission is paid; guided tours are available.
How to get there: From Stuttgart you can get to Bad Urach by train with a short change in Metzingen; the travel time is just over an hour. Trains run throughout the day once an hour.
Hohenzollern Castle
One of the most outstanding castles in southern Germany, comparable in its beauty and grandeur to the Bavarian Neuschwanstein is the ancestral castle of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The castle stands alone on a hill, at an altitude of 850 meters and rises as an impregnable fortress over the surrounding area. The construction of the castle took place in the 15th century, so the architecture of the castle is immediately recognizable as Gothic. Recently, the castle was restored and reopened to tourists.
How to get there: The nearest relatively large town nearby is Tubingen, located 25 km from the small town of Bisingen. You can begin the journey from Bisingen to the castle by taxi. You can also book a day tour from Frankfurt by clicking here.
The Most Beautiful Castles in Rhineland-Palatinate
Cochem Castle
There are a lot of small cozy towns located on the banks of river Moselle, Rhineland-Palatinate region. Cochem is one of them. It is not a large, but pretty picturesque town with its main attraction called Reichsburg Castle. The castle was built at the beginning of the 12th century in Gothic style. Its location definitely adds to its charm, because the castle is on the top of a hill, overlooking the whole town with its colorful buildings and inspiring Moselle valley. Reichsburg Castle has preserved not only exteriors, but interiors too. You can find the Knight`s Hall, the Great Dining room, the Hunting room, the Gothic room, the Romanesque room and the Armory inside of it. The halls and rooms are decorated with various objects of art, including works of Titian and Rubens. The castle is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. Observing interiors is possible only with an organized tour.
How to get there: The closest cities around are Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Cologne. You can take a train with a change in Koblenz to reach your destination. The travel time is from 1,5 hours to 2,5 hours, depending on your starting point. After arriving, you need to get up from Cochem to the castle on foot or by taxi on weekdays or by regular shuttle buses on weekends.
Eltz Castle
Eltz castle is a mysterious place surrounded by deep forests and the river Moselle. Nevertheless, many tourists seek to visit it when travelling around Germany. The reason why travellers come to Eltz Castle is undoubtedly its stunning views. The castle is located on a hill and combines several architectural styles at once, including Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. It was built back in the 12th century and now it is a truly hidden gem of Rhineland-Palatinate region which is definitely worth visiting despite uneasy ways of getting there. Once having arrived here, you can look not only at facades and towers, but observe the interiors that are open to visitors daily. It includes visiting the Treasury. Besides the castle, the local bridge is also very popular among tourists so do not miss it too, because it is exactly that place where the best views on the castle are available. Be noted, that the castle is open only from April to October from 09.30 to 17.30.
How to get there: It`s not easy to get to Eltz castle, but you can try. Firstly, you need to reach Moselkern town, which is 5 km from the castle. You can use a train from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf or Cologne to come to Moselkern (via Koblenz though). Then you need to go to the castle on foot or by taxi. On weekends there is a tourist bus available. If you travel by car, then follow the road #A61 from Dusseldorf or Cologne, or the road # A3 from Frankfurt.
You can also click here to book a full day tour from Frankfurt.
Koblenz Castle
Koblenz is a pretty colorful town with a lot of historical attractions in it. The other great thing is the natural landscape all around. It is not surprising that the town is so loved by travelers. You can see both a medieval fortress and a romantic castle here. Ehrenbreitstein fortress is located on a 118-meter cliff. You can use a cable car to get to the top. It is a good way to observe the whole panorama of Koblenz. Stolzenfels castle also deserves your attention. It was built in 19 century and has typical features of romanticism. It is also located on a hill where you can enjoy views on Koblenz and Rhine River. The castle is open from March to October inclusively, except days-off on Mondays.
How to get there: Koblenz is quite easy-reachable from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf or Cologne. There is direct train connection between those destinations. The travel time is from 50 minutes to 1,5 hours. You can also travel by car, using the road # A3.
For more similar articles about Germany check out my recommendations below:
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