If you want to see as many castles as possible in the least amount of time, take a ride on the Castle Road, one of Germany's Scenic Drives. This themed route is lined with 70 castles and palaces, enough for any castle lover.
The Castle Road, called Burgenstraße in German, is over 625 miles long; it starts in Mannheim and leads you all the way to Prague in the Czech Republic.
The closest international airport with direct access to the Castle Road is in Nuremberg.
You can also fly into Munich, Frankfurt am Main, or Stuttgart. From there, take the Intercity Express (ICE) to Mannheim, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, or Bamberg, where you can start your castle tour.
More about Train Travel in Germany
The website for the Castle Road is in English and has a very good map of the route, including exact distances between castles and cities. It also shows you which castles house restaurants or hotels.
By car: The Castle Road consists of a series of small, winding back roads with easy to follow signs. Along the way, you pass several rivers and drive through spectacular landscape.
You reach the route from the following Autobahns (motorways): A3, A5, A6, A7, A9.
By train: Almost all towns along the route have a train station, and the train mostly travels parallel to Castle Road.
Find out more about Train Travel in Germany.
- Castle of Heidelberg
- =Old Town of Heidelberg
- Castle Hotel Colmberg; stay in a 1000 year old castle and enjoy sweeping views of the Franconian countryside
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber; the best-preserved medieval town in Germany
- Castle of Neuenstein, featuring an original medieval kitchen
- New Residence Castle of Bamberg, a UNESCO world heritage site
- Imperial Castle of Nuremberg, which features the best Christmas market in Germany
- New and Old Palace of Bayreuth, also famous for its annual Richard Wagner Festival
- With so much to see on the Castle Road, it is recommended to pick just a few castles that you want to explore in depth. Enjoy the view of the other castles from afar.
- If you want to drive the whole route, you will need at least 3-4 days.
- You can spend the night in some castle hotels to get the full experience; a great place is the 1000 year old Castle Hotel Colmberg. If you want to save some money, look out for bed-and-breakfasts along the way; their signs will say Zimmer frei (rooms free).
- You can also book an organized bus tour or other pre-arranged packages
