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The Local's guide to German castles
Published: 6 Oct 11 11:59 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/lifestyle/20111006-38043.html
Kicking off a month focusing on Germany’s castles, palaces and crumbling ruins, The Local introduces 12 of the best – and one of the spookiest – royal locales.
The buildings’ purposes over the ages have been as diverse as their construction, and include a porcelain factory, a private office, a children’s summer camp, a hostel, government residences, Nazi headquarters and even wedding receptions.
Some rivers flowing through Germany, such as the Rhine and Mosel, feature stretches where castles pop up along every second hill. In Rhineland-Palatinate, three medieval fortresses along the Rhine’s left bank have never been destroyed. One of the three, the Castle of Eltz, has been owned by the same family for over 800 years.
Germany originated as a patchwork of states, kingdoms and territories, which periodically fought each other, teamed up against common enemies, united and then faced off against each other again.
This political and military uncertainty created perfect conditions over the centuries for the construction of a huge range of castles, palaces and in-between buildings such as fortified monasteries. Although, even after the trend towards building the elaborate structures had subsided, rulers such as Landgrave Wilhelm IX in Hesse commissioned new buildings designed to resemble ancient ruins.
Legends and myths have, of course, grown along with the battlements, and while Schwerin’s parliamentary seat may not really have a small ghost roaming its halls, the island palace may still be worth a visit.
Erin Huggins
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Your comments about this article:
I've been to 80 percent of the castles shown here. Was fun to guess them as the pix downloaded before seeing the names.
Ruins are also very interesting. One of my favorites is Burg Frankenstein in Darmstadt. Been there many times. They also hold spooky Halloween fest there every year. I even made a TV show of it.
Photo 13 claims that Wewelsburg is located in Rhineland-Palatinate.
In fact it is located in North Rhine-Westphalia.