Magical Mosel Burg Eltz Castle: Ultimate guide (photos)
Are you dreaming of visiting the storybook Mosel Burg Eltz Castle?
That’s really no surprise! There is just something most appealing about this perfect little castle that has remained virtually undisturbed, tucked away in a lush 300-acre forest in Germany, for 865 years.
In this ultimate guide you’ll get all of the important details plus a few insider tips on how to make your visit just a little bit more magical!
(Looking for more fairytale castles? Get this list of over 15 Fairytale castles in Germany!)
Can you visit Eltz Castle?
Yes you can! We’ve put together the Ultimate Burg Eltz Travel Guide to one of Europe’s best medieval castles so keep reading for everything you’ll need to know before you go.
Table of Contents
About Mosel Burg Eltz castle
Burg Eltz Castle Germany is an authentic Medieval castle located in the Burg Eltz Mosel Valley. The same family has maintained possession of the castle since the 12th century (34 generations!) and it is one of Germany’s most famous castles.
Due to its isolated location deep in the forest Mosel Burg Eltz Castle Germany has never been destroyed, preserving almost 1,000 years of history.
The castle was able to withstand a 5-year siege (astounding!!!) To have survived all of these centuries without being destroyed is quite an impressive feat.
The original castle was added onto through the years leaving it with a fanciful mix of architectural styles. The current structure has notes of Medieval architecture, Romanesque architecture, Baroque architecture, and Gothic architecture.
Where is the castle located?
Burg Eltz Germany is located in Wierschem in the Rhineland-Palatinate Germany state of south west Germany. Nestled in the hills above the Moselle River (Mosel River,) the castle is surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River, a tributary on the north side of the Moselle valley.
Eltz is surrounded by a dense forest, today designated as a nature preserve.
Eltz held an important position due to it’s location along the important trade routes of the area during the time of the Holy Roman Empire.
Touring Mosel Burg Eltz
The Only way to visit Eltz castle is a guided tour of the castle. The guided castle tour lasts 35-40 minutes.
Tours can be given in English and French as well as a German tour. Information sheets in Chinese, English, French Italian, Japanese, Dutch tours, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish are available.
The Treasury can be visited independently from the guided tour.
(prices and opening times are subject to change for the most current and up to date information on cost of entry can be found on the castle website.)
Opening Times
April 1-Nov 1 daily (including public holidays) 9:30 am – 5 pm (17:30)
How much does it cost to visit Eltz Castle?
The entrance fee to visit the castle is €12,00 for adults, €7,00 for children
Do you need to Bring cash?
At last check they do not accept credit cards for parking, shuttle bus fees, restaurant purchases, or entrance fees BUT f you spend a minimum amount in the gift shop you may be able to pay with a credit card.
How much time do I need to visit Burg Eltz?
It is recommended that you allot 2.5 hours for your visit to Burg Eltz but with the trails, gift shop, and tasty food options you may want slow things down a bit and make a full day of it.
When is the best time to visit Burg Eltz?
Visit early morning or late afternoon to beat the crowds. Early morning is a great time to cast the scenic golden morning light as it illuminates the castle.
pets
Animals are not allowed
The Eltz Castle Inside
Many of the original furnishings from 850 years ago still remain in the Eltz Castle interior. Interiors that have remained in large part unchanged throughout the centuries.
Photos are not permitted inside the castle, therefore I do not have any photos of the castle interior.
Inside the Eltz castle you’ll find suits of armor, swords, gold and silver artifacts (treasure!)
(Look for the fool’s heads, representing freedom of speech, on the wall of the Knights hall.)
The Eltz castle inside the treasury:
Here are a couple of my favorite items in the treasury:
The Eltz Castle Inside the inner courtyard:
Did we forget anything important in our Ultimate Burg Eltz Travel guide? Let us know in the comments!
Castle amenities
Gift Shop:
There’s a castle shop where you can shop for souvenirs.
(Wondering what to buy in Germany? check out my guide to German Souvenirs!)
Burg Eltz Restaurant
There are two Restaurants at Burg Eltz. They are more like snack stands serving brats, flammkuchen, currywurst, soups, sandwiches and desserts. but the food is quite good!
You’ll find food at the IMBISS (snack stand, smells like heaven.)
Castle grounds
There’s a little trail just outside of the castle that leads to the stone bridge where you can get another perspective on the caste. The area is teaming with hiking trails. For more information see the “hiking” section further down in this article.
The paths surrounding the castle afford different views and perspectives of the castle:
photo credit: Photo by David Emrich
The official Mosel Burg Eltz website has a really great map of the castle grounds. You can navigate to a high quality map on their site by clicking this link:
Interesting facts about Castle Eltz Germany
One interesting fact about the castle Eltz is that from 1965 to 1992 the castle was depicted on the German 500 Deutsche Mark note Burg Eltz castle has also adorned German postage stamps.
Castle Eltz history and the Eltz Castle family
The Eltz Castle family and castle are named for the Elzbach River that winds around the castle.
When was Burg Eltz built?
There was a castle here prior to 1157 although the exact date of its construction is not known. “Platteltz, a Romanesque keep, is the oldest part of the castle, having begun in the 9th century as a simple manor with an earthen palisade.” -wikipedia
1157 was the first documented mention of the Eltz castle and its inhabitants.
In 1268 ownership of the castle was divided among 3 brothers who were the Eltz Castle family heirs.
Castles were expensive to build and a single Lord rarely had the means to build so local Lords often came together to build one castle to house their families. So, joint ownership was an ideal situation for the 3 heirs to Burg Eltz.
The 3 branches of the Eltz family heirs to the Eltz Castle were: the Rübenach “ house of the Silver Lion ,” the Rodendorf “ house of the Buffalo Horns ,” and the Kempenich branch “ house of the Golden Lion ”
In the years that followed, the 3 branches of the Eltz family that were joint heirs to the castle set about constructing their private quarters in the castle.
The castle took shape as the 3 sections were constructed. The Kempenich section was completed early on, while what you see of the caste today that is known as the Rodendorf section was completed in the 16th century. The Rübenach section is a 17th century late Gothic style.
In 1786 the Rodendorf branch of the Eltz family died out.
In 1815 the barons of eltz-Rübenach branch of the family sold their share of the castle to the counts of Eltz-Kempenich, leaving this branch of the family the sole heirs to the Eltz Castle.
In the 19th century Count Karl zu Eltz went about the restoration work and preservation of the castle at an expense of what today would be tens of millions of dollars.
Does anyone live in Eltz Castle?
Today the Rodendorf and Rübenach families’ homes in the castle are open to the public, while the Kempenich branch of the Eltz Castle family uses the other third of the castle. They still today maintain private apartments at Eltz.
The current owner (2022) of the castle Eltz is Dr. Karl Graf von und zu Eltz-Kempenich, 34th generation of the Eltz family.
It is really quite amazing that not only has the castle Eltz endured through the ages, untouched, it has remained in the same family since its name was first recorded 865 years ago!
Getting to Burg Eltz Castle
driving (by car)
There are a variety of ways to get to the castle, including the easiest way, driving right up to the car park.
Castle Parking lot address:
Parkplatz Burg Eltz ( Burg Eltz Parken )
address: K38, 56294 Wierschem, Deutschland
Parking fee: 4 euros, 8 for camper vans and coaches
Castle bus:
The road leading up to the castle Eltz is a private road and it’s a .6 mile walk from the parking lot to the castle. You can walk or you can take the castle shuttle bus which leaves the parking lot every 10 minutes. Price per person 2€.
by train
Hatzenport train station: Public transport is also possible to reach Burg Elz. The castle website suggests traveling to the train station in Hatzenport which is about 6 miles from the castle. You will need to then take a bus no. 365 to the castle.
Moselkern train station plus a hike: Or you can take the trail to Moselkern and walk from there. We did a Cochem Burg Eltz day trip.
When I heard about the walk through a fairy forest I knew that I would be taking the route through the trees! We left our car parked at our hotel in Cochem and took a short train ride from Cochem to Moselkern. Our walk began at the train station in Moselkern.
The entire hike from the train station to the castle Eltz was about an hour. As you approach the end of the hike the trees part and you’ll get your first view of the beautiful castle.
car/ hike combo
We enjoyed the hike BUT the first half of the hike was through the tiny town and along the outskirts so not really very scenic.
The hike is a great option but there is an even better option. The Best way I think is to drive to Hotel Ringelsteiner Muhle which is located about half way through the hike and cuts off the dull part of the hike. (Elztal 94, 56254 Moselkern, Germany) from there the rest of the hike was all trails through forest.
The second half of the hike is the best part anyway, and it will cut your hike nearly in half. Parking at the hotel is e 3€ from there it’s about 1.5 miles a 36-minute hike to the castle.
Hiking in the Eltz Forest ( wandern Burg Eltz )
There are hiking trails all around the castle in the deep forests of the Eifel Region.
Here are two top picks:
Trutzeltz Castle trail
Trutzeltz Castle trail is a 2 mile out and back trail that includes views of Trutzeltz castle ruins.
Here’s a map of the trail from alltrails with the castle circles.
Rundweg trail
Rundweg trail is a 4.6 mile loop BUT it includes the walk to Hotel Ringelsteiner Muhle which was discussed earlier. If you prefer just to walk the loop surrounding the castle I believe it cuts off 3 miles from the hike total.
Here is a map of the Rundweg trail
more hikes in the area:
Ich Gehe Wandern (I go hiking) website has information on additional hikes in the Medieval Burg Eltz Castle area.
The beautiful Burg Eltz Castle in Germany makes a great day trip and is a wonderful addition to your itinerary.
special dining opportunity
Looking for a special dining opportunity in the area? Just 16 km from Eltz Castle is Alte Muhle Thomas Horeth where you’ll find a restaurant in a 1,000-year-old mill and it’s not to be missed! Make a reservation in the wine cellar!
hotels in the area (Burg Eltz hotels in der nähe)
Looking to book accommodations (Burg Eltz unterkünfte)?
castle hotels
Want to add a truly special touch to your trip? You’re just kilometers away from some of the best Rhine River Castle hotels! and I’ve got a full list for you!
Landhaus vor Burg Eltz (the closest option)
Located less than 2 km by car, this is your closest option (hotel nähe Burg Eltz.)
book Landhaus vor Burg Eltz here on booking.com!
Hotel Ringelsteiner Muhle (hiking trail through the forest)
Want to slow things down a bit and explore all of the trails? It’s 13 km from Eltz by car but only 2.5 km via the wooded trail!
Book a room at Hotel Ringelsteiner Muhle here on Booking.com!
Beilstein Germany, relax on the beautiful Moselle River
Cochem is GREAT but if your looking for an alternative how about Beilstein, on the banks of the Moselle? Beilstein is 30 km from Eltz Castle by car. Here are some of my favorite Beilstein options:
Altes Zollhaus
is a beautiful family-run hotel in a building dating from 1643. It sits directly on the banks of the Moselle River.
book Altes Zollerhaus on Booking.com!
Hotel Restaurant Alte Stadtmauer
This cozy hotel has a vine covered terrace restaurant with views of the river.
book Hotel Restaurant Alte Stadtmauer on Booking.com!
Hotel Haus Burg Metternich
This family-run hotel at the foot of the Metternich Castle has a vine draped terrace with panoramic views of the Moselle.
book Hotel Haus Burg Metternich on Booking.com!
search for more at Booking.com!
conclusion
Medieval Eltz castle is a wonderfully preserved world class treasure. There is something really special about it. If you’re into old and ancient then you may be interested in adding the best medieval towns in Germany to your travel itinerary!
Need help with your itinerary? I have an epic 2 week Germany itinerary (with stops in France, Switzerland and Austria!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is eltz Castle Worth visiting?
Yes without a doubt, it is one of Germany’s biggest attractions. With the hiking trails that surround the castle, you can make a day out of your trip to Eltz Castle. This gem is a favorite castle of many and is without a doubt a favorite of mine! Add it to your Germany bucket list now!
It it BERG Eltz or BURG Eltz?
A common misspelling is “ Berg Eltz Castle ” spelled with an “e” rather than the correct way with a “u.” In German a “ Berg “ is a mountain, while a “ Burg “ or “Schloss / Schloß ” is a castle! No matter which way you found this article I hope that you find everything you need to visit the amazingly wonderful Schloss Eltz Castle / Schloß Eltz in Germany!
attention: privacy notice: photographs are permitted of Burg Eltz for private use only. The photos published here are for educational purposes only. all photographs on this site are property of Angie Kunze and are not to be duplicated without express permission.
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