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A view of Neuschwanstein Castle from a distance.
Image: Sieghart Mair/ Zoonar/picture allianceImage: Sieghart Mair/ Zoonar/picture alliance

Castle

The castle developed at the beginning of the Renaissance as the architectural style of the nobility. The rulers' ideas of power and grandeur were reflected in their castles.

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All Content on this topic

Vessertal reserve in the Thuringian Forest

Thuringian Forest

Discover the artsy side of the region of Germany known as its 'green heart.'
February 8, 2011
Heidelberg

Discover Germany

With its historic Old Bridge, castle and medieval town center, Heidelberg is rich in romantic charm.
November 15, 2010
Castle Solitude in Stuttgart

Discover Germany

Stuttgart is known as for its luxury carmakers, but also has a significant architectural legacy.
September 28, 2010
Chiemsee in Bavaria

Discover Germany

Go on a personal tour of the Herrenchiemsee Palace, located on an island in Bavaria's biggest lake.
August 9, 2010
Kaiserburg in Nuremberg

Historic sites

With sites dating back to the 11th century, Nuremberg offers plenty for history buffs.
July 26, 2010
castle on the water on the lower rhine

Rhine valley

Germany's Lower Rhine valley has something for sports enthusiasts as well as art lovers.
May 10, 2010
A picture of the steps at Sanssouci castle in Potsdam

Nature's commuters

Brandenburg is called Berlin's bedroom community. But the state is more about nature than commuting.
November 18, 2009
Stahleck castle.

Youth hostel

The first youth hostel opened in Germany 100 years ago, but one hostel has a longer history.
August 27, 2009
Arnold Schwarzenegger shakes a woman's hand

Witnessing

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned three paintings stolen by the Nazis.
April 11, 2009
Boats in a Lake Garda harbor

Former Deutsche Post Boss Moves to Castle After Tax Evasion Scandal

Authorities aren't troubled that former Deutsche Post boss Klaus Zumwinkel, on a suspended jail sentence for tax evasion of almost 1 million euros ($1.3 million), has moved to live in a refurbished Italian castle.
February 17, 2009

Waldeck Castle

In May of 1964, 400 spectators gathered at Waldeck Castle for the first open-air music festival in western Germany. Historians now call it the birthplace of the hippy counter-culture revolution of the 1960s and ‘70s.
July 6, 2008
Yellow castle

Pedaling the Neckar

For those who want to get away from it all, step back in time as you bike Germany's Castle Road.
June 22, 2008
A group checks into Cologne youth hostel

Cultural Exchange

German youth hostels have undergone a major transformation since the first one opened in 1912.
November 18, 2007
Burg Eltz Castle on the Moselle River

Reader Travel Tips

From Berlin and Hamburg to castles and gardens, DW readers share their favorite spots in Germany.
September 19, 2007
Neuschwanstein Castle with clouds around it

Your Opinions

Readers told us about their trips to Mad King Ludwig's legendary castle.
August 11, 2007
Neuschwanstein castle with Hohenschwangau castle in the background

Taking On Neuschwanstein

Bavaria's former royal family wants to make their ancestors' castle more attractive for tourists.
August 3, 2007

Burg Eltz

Nestled between Koblenz and Trier, Eltz Castle was used as a condominium for centuries.
July 19, 2007

German Travel Routes

Romantic getaways, natural beauty and historic castles, DW-WORLD.DE travels through Germany.
July 6, 2007

Prison Turned Hostel

Colditz Castle in Saxony, once a Nazi prison, has been converted into a youth hostel.
July 1, 2007

Colditz Castle Hostel

A European youth hostel with a difference has been officially inaugurated inside Colditz Castle in Saxony, a former POW camp in the first half of the 1940s.
June 20, 2007
Two police officers on their horses patrol in front of the Meseberg castle

German Camp David

A Baroque castle is the new guesthouse of the German government. But not everybody is cheering.
February 22, 2007

Yes to Palace

The people of Potsdam, near Berlin, have voted to restore an old Prussian city palace.
January 5, 2007

Central Europe's Aristocrats Want Ancestral Fortunes Back

Central European nobility struggling to regain palaces and property seized by the communists after World War II face an uphill battle. For many, the campaign ends in defeat.
July 29, 2006

Neuschwanstein Castle Modernized for Visitors

The fairytale castle in lower Bavaria has revamped its visitor program to allow more people access to eccentric King Ludwig's dazzling, larger-than-life vacation home.
July 23, 2006

New Glimpses of Marienburg Castle

Marienburg Castle, the seat of Germany's oldest noble dynasty, is located just 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Hanover, in Nordstemmen. Prince Ernst August of Hanover and family have opened the building to visitors.
April 17, 2006

Neuschwanstein: Mad Ludwig's Magical Refuge From Reality

No visit to Germany would be complete without seeing the castle that inspired Disney's Magical Kingdom. But Neuschwanstein and King Ludwig II's other castles are more than an obligatory kitsch stop on a whirlwind tour.
February 11, 2006

Vogelsang Castle: In the Shadow of the Third Reich

Young men were molded into Nazi leaders of the future at Vogelsang Castle in the Rhineland. The complex is the best maintained example of Third Reich architecture in Germany, and since Jan. 1 it's open to the public.
January 2, 2006

German Royal Auction Tops Expectations

October 17, 2005

Prince Ernst August Sells Contents of Castle

October 4, 2005

City Portrait Brühl

The Augustusburg palace in Brühl between Cologne and Bonn is a masterpiece of the rococo style in Germany. A former royal residence, the palace with its baroque garden is a major draw for visitors coming to the area.
September 4, 2005

Schumi's Construction Dreams of Grandeur

If you've got it, flaunt it. Michael Schumacher, seven-time Formula One champion, is doing just that, showing off his vast wealth. He's building a private castle to the cool tune of 24 million euros ($28 million).
July 3, 2005

Former Fortress Rolls Out Welcome Mat

Once an impenetrable fortress repelling all invaders in the heart of the French Ardennes, Europe's biggest fortified castle is now luring tourists with offers of nights among the shining armor.
March 27, 2005

Wartburg Castle: Immersed in History

It has been called the most German of all castles. But to see the Wartburg, tourists have to be ready for a tough climb up the steep road leading to the castle. The view, however, is worth the effort.
March 9, 2005

City Portrait Braunschweig

Visitors to Braunschweig in Lower Saxony can expect a seemingly seamless blend of tradition and modernity in the form of elaborate medieval architecture and thriving science and industrial centers.
March 2, 2005

French Castles Go Private

France is planning to privatize 178 historical castles and monuments. But regional authorities fear they may get saddled with decrepit and indebted buildings that can't support themselves.
February 27, 2005

Germany's Rescued Storybook Village

The eastern German town of Quedlinburg has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since for the past 10 years. The town was lucky: for a time, many of its unique monuments were in danger of being torn down.
December 30, 2004

City Portrait Koblenz

Koblenz's sites nearly fill the day but leave time for a nap before dinner for the weary traveler.
November 25, 2004

What's on at Europe's Museums

Vienna shows works by US artist Mike Kelley, Budapest celebrates the genius of Miró, the Italian city of Faenza plays host to exquisite Japanese porcelain and Potsdam evokes the lost beauty of manors in East Prussia.
July 26, 2004

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder - Writ Large

King Ludwig II, often called mad King Ludwig, built more than his share of castles, and some of Bavaria's most famous ones. But why? A German psychologist thinks he had the answer: compulsive palace-building syndrome.
July 1, 2004

City Portrait Coburg

The city of Coburg in northern Bavaria has blue blood and regularly plays host to royals.
March 24, 2004

Chinese Tourists in Germany: Castles and the Autobahn

Since this February, Chinese tourist groups have been allowed to travel to Germany. The German tourist industry has been making the most of the new rules, offering both romantic castles and the speed of the Autobahn.
November 16, 2003

King For a Day

Who hasn’t traveled along the Rhine and imagined living in one of the castles lining the river? Several of the medieval fortresses offer tourists the chance to fulfill their dreams and become lord of the keep for a day.
May 26, 2003