This Eltz Castle travel guide is all about the medieval castle in Germany’s Moselle area that’s labeled as one of the most beautiful castles in Germany. The Eltz Castle is still owned by the same family that lived here in the 12th century which makes it a special place to visit and discover.
Since it’s a perfect day trip from Cologne or Düsseldorf, it already appeared in our day trips from Cologne guide, but today we’re going to show you some of the past history, travel tips & photography tips!
Eltz Castle Travel Guide
Eltz Castle is not only popular with Germans. And so it can be that on days with nice weather it is hopelessly crowded. Therefore, this guide should help you plan your perfect trip to Eltz Castle.
Why visit Burg Eltz in Germany?
- Eltz Castle is over 850 years old and still owned by a family
- Stunning architecture and eight towers of over 35 meters in height
- Hiking in the area is particularly popular since you’ll have awesome panorama views
How to get to Eltz Castle?
It is quite possible to travel either by your own car or by public transport. The latter of course has both advantages and disadvantages, for example you are less flexible and tied to certain arrivals and departures, because you can only get to Burg Eltz by bus. That means you take the train to the nearest train station and then have to take the Burg Eltz Bus directly to the castle. Another disadvantage is that this is only possible on weekends and unfortunately only in summer. In addition, you will only be at the castle when many others are already there and do not have the chance to have them completely for yourself.
BY CAR | Of course, this is by far the most comfortable solution. You can simply park your car in a parking lot above the castle and then walk the last few meters to the castle itself.
BY TRAIN & BUS | Unfortunately there is only the possibility to use both. Take the train to the nearest train station and from there continue by bus. Please keep in mind that this is only possible on weekends in summer.
AIRPORT | If you only plan your visit to Eltz Castle and have to travel to Germany by plane, the closest airports are Cologne Bonn or Düsseldorf.
How much time should I spend at the castle?
We would recommend that you take a full day to see the castle at sunrise and sunset. In our day trips from Cologne guide we suggested that you could combine the castle with the Geierlay bridge.
Of course, this is absolutely possible and recommended if you want to see both anyway. In the evening it can get very crowded at Burg Eltz, while it gets empty at the Geierlay Bridge.
Ticket Prices
You don’t have to pay any admission to view the castle from the outside. You will only be charged if you want to see the inside of the castle. However, it’s €10 for adults and €3.50 for students. Ticket prices include a guided tour and the museum.
Eltz Castle Travel Guide: Facts
- Construction of Burg Eltz: 8th until 13th century
- The castle was used as a home for different branches of the Eltz family
- It is owned by the same family since 1263
- The Eltz family used to be the most influential family in Germany
Things to do at Eltz Castle
Of course, this Eltz Castle travel guide wouldn’t be complete without the top things to do at Eltz Castle. Basically, you have two options on how to spend your day:
- Explore the castle itself and visit one of their guided tours
- Skip on the castle and go hiking
If you are visiting the castle for the first time, we would definitely recommend a visit to Eltz Castle itself. However, if you are not interested in something like this and just want to take some photos, you can of course hike the Panorama Trail afterwards.
Guided Tours
The guided tours are an option if you really want to see the inside of the castle, because you’ll need a guide to do so. Every day there are plenty of tours and each has a duration of 40 minutes.
During your guided tour you’ll learn about the history and how people used to live in the castle back in the days.
Panorama Trail
In addition, the 12.6km hiking trail is definitely something we’d recommend for warm summer days. It’s a beautiful hiking trail with several view points and perfect to spend a day in nature.
Photography Tips
One of the most important tips if you want to take photos without other people around you: come before sunrise. During the day it can sometimes be really difficult to take photos. On the one hand, the sun is often rather unfavorably directly behind the castle and on the other hand, you will have many people in the picture.
A very popular time to take photos is sunset. You should definitely avoid weekends here, as it often gets extremely crowded during the week. If you can, we’d suggest to take photos during sunrise.
Eltz Castle Travel Guide – Expectations
Firstly, thanks to over-edited Instagram photos, our expectations are far too high. That’s already a growing problem in tourism. Influencers edit their pictures so heavily that the location can hardly be recognized anymore. Unfortunately, this results in disappointed visitors.
However, we’ve never seen such photos of the Eltz Castle, but you should always keep in mind that not all photos on Instagram are still up to date.
We took these pictures in early 2020 and some people were surprised that the castle is under construction, because they haven’t seen so on Instagram.
Summary
To sum this Eltz Castle travel guide up, we’d recommend the castle for families as well as for couples or solo travelers. It’s a beautiful medieval castle that’s perfect to spend a day at and snap some photos as well.
We hope you liked this Eltz Castle travel guide. Here are some more posts you might enjoy:
- 9 day trips from Cologne
- How to spend one day in Cologne
- Monschau travel guide
- How to visit the Geierlay bridge without crowds
- Mainz day trip guide: sights, food, and insider tips
Your pictures are simply stunning!
Aww, thank you!!