Did you know that Germany is home to over 20,000 castles!? Ranging from war-strewn ruins, and medieval fortresses, to impressive facades plucked straight from a fairy tale book. Germany has some of Europe’s most beautiful and impressive castles – and Burg Eltz (or Eltz Castle) is no exception. Here is your definitive guide on everything you need to know to visit Burg Eltz Castle.
About Eltz Castle
Situated in Western Germany, in Northern Rhineland-Palatinate, Burg Eltz is one of Germany’s best preserved castles and is said to be one of only three castles never to have been destroyed over the years. In fact, the same family has been living in the castle for generations – as far back as 900 years now!
One of the castle’s unique features is its physical location – perched atop a 70m high rock, deep within a valley. It epitomises the fairy tale dream castle, surrounded by lush forest, far away from modern life and busy roads.
Eltz Castle is surrounded by 300 hectares of Eltz Forest, a natural paradise for all living creatures, plants and fauna, including some rare species. The area has been declared a nature reserve by Flora-Fauna-Habitat and Natura 2000. As a result, this precious landscape must be protected and nurtured by all who wish to visit Burg Eltz Castle. The owners have created a set of House Rules, which visitors must follow.
The scenery is not the only thing that’s easy on the eye. The castle itself is easily one of Germany’s most beautiful castles, with its timber frames and eight towers soaring 35m high in the air. Plus a picturesque moat and stone bridge providing access to the castle, which in medieval times had been a drawbridge. While in more modern times, Eltz Castle was featured on the 500 Deutsche Mark banknote, from 1961 – 1995.
How to visit Burg Eltz Castle?
The castle is located in one of the most picturesque parts of Germany, within the Rhineland-Palatinate. It is about 30 minutes drive from Koblenz or Cochem, 1.5 hours from Frankfurt or Cologne, or 2 hours drive from Heidelberg. This makes it super easy to visit as a day trip!
While public transport is an option to visit Burg Eltz Castle (more on this below), your best option is to drive.
By car
The official Burg Eltz website advises you enter this location into your sat nav, which will take you directly to the castle’s car park. As you get closer to the castle, you should see signs for ‘Parkplatz Burg Eltz’. At the car park, you will need to pay via the Pay & Display there (cash only). The cost is pretty reasonable; either €4 per day for cars & motorbikes, or €8 per day for campers and trailers.
Once parked up, there are a couple of walking routes which take you down to the castle (marked up in green and yellow on the map below). We followed the road (the yellow route) which took about 15 minutes in total. It’s quite steep in places, but does include a stunning viewpoint of the castle below you in the valley. You can also take the green route which is an easier walk, taking you through the surrounding forest, and takes roughly 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the shuttle bus from the car park which takes you down to the castle and costs €2 (cash). This does however depend on what time you arrive. The shuttle only runs during the castle’s opening hours and only during the months of April to October.
By Public Transport
Your best bet would be to get the train to Hatzenport, and from there you can catch the Number 365 bus to Eltz Castle Carpark 1, which runs every 30 minutes. Depending where you’re travelling in from, it might be easier to use the Deutsche Bahn website to plan your journey.
When is Eltz Castle open?
You can visit the castle grounds at any time of year, however you can only visit inside the castle from late-March to November. The castle is open daily during this time, from 9:30am to 5:30pm (with final admission at 5pm). All current opening dates can be found on the official Burg Eltz website.
Your ticket includes access to a guided tour of the castle, which start from 9:30am in the upper courtyard. The tour takes 35-40 minutes, with the last tour offered at 5:30pm.
However, you can still enjoy the castle even outside of these times. We visited the area on a Sunday in August, so we were particularly keen to avoid the busy crowds! We arrived at the castle at 8am and we were the only 2 people at the castle! It was amazing to have it all to ourselves and explore the grounds. We personally were not too worried about seeing inside the castle – for us the most impressive part is the exterior. So, like us, you can still enjoy the castle, even if you visit out of hours or during the off-season.
How to get tickets to visit Burg Eltz Castle?
It’s currently not possible to buy tickets online and they can only be purchased from the castle entrance on the day.
Tickets cost €14 per adult, €7 for students and children (tickets are free for those under 6), or €34 for a family ticket (x2 adults, and x1 under 18). Full details can be found on the Burg Eltz website.
When is the best time to visit Burg Eltz Castle?
Although Burg Eltz is not as popular some of Germany’s other castles, it is quickly growing in popularity and likely to be very busy during the peak holiday season of July and August, or at weekends.
If you’re planning to buy tickets, then weekdays are your best time to avoid crowds, particularly early in the morning (9:30am – 11am), or towards the end of the day (3:30pm – 5pm). This is even better if you can avoid the peak summer season (April – early-June, or September-October).
If you can only visit during the peak season (like us when we visited in August) then we recommend you get there early (pre-10am). Better yet, get there for about 8am like we did, so you can explore the castle grounds first. You’ll likely have it all to yourself and then you can casually queue to buy your tickets at 9:30am when the castle opens.
Regardless of when you choose to visit, Burg Eltz is a fairy tale experience that won’t disappoint! It is just as impressive in real-life as it is in the photos (if not, more impressive!)
We hope you enjoyed our helpful tips on how to visit Burg Eltz Castle! If you have any questions, or any tips you’d like to share for future travellers to Burg Eltz, then please share them in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you! If you found our blog helpful, check out our Insta @welovetravel.in – if you give us a follow don’t forget to say hey!
How to Visit Burg Eltz Castle
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