The castels in Germany
mainly served as homes for kings and the royal families. They were
built as strongholds against enemies, keeping in mind the possibilities
of both attack and defense. Many war weapons were developed and stored
in these castles. The building style of these castles varied from
Baroque to Renaissance. From the fortresses in the Alps to citadels
along the river Rhine, there are many exquisite and magnificent castles
in Germany. Each castle has its own long and exciting history.
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein in the Bavarian Alps, is the most famed castle in
Germany and considered to be one of the top ten attractions in Germany.
This fairytale castle is neither very old, nor was it built for war or
defense. With the help of a stage designer, Ludwig II of Bavaria
constructed this castle in 1869 for pleasure and enjoyment purposes.
Ludwig II used to admire Richard Wagner, who was a German composer, and
this castle is a deference to that composer. The interiors of the
castle portrays many scenes of Wagner's opera.
The castle is built with modern technologies like flush toilets,
running hot and cold water and heating. Neuschwanstein was considered
to be the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland andHong Kong Disneyland.
Wartburg Castle
The Wartburg Castle is one of the oldest and well-preserved
Romanesque castle in Germany. It sits on a steep hill, overlooking the
city of Eisenach; the only way to access to the castle is a draw
bridge. Built in 1067, the castle has become a museum that displays art
treasures like tapestries, precious silverware and medieval musical
instruments. This castle served as a refuge for the German Church
reformer Martin Luther, who in only eleven weeks translated the Bible
into German within the Wartburg's monumental walls. During the medieval
period, the Wartburg castle was used for many courtly cultural
activities. It is one of Europe
's oldest Romanesque buildings and was added to the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1999.
Castle of Heidelberg
Once a medieval masterpiece, this castle has experienced turbulent
times. In 1689, it was destroyed and burned by the French army. A 100
years later, it got struck by lightning and its red stones were used to
build new houses. The earliest castle structure was built before 1214
AD on the northern part of the Konigstuhl hillside. The castle of
Heidelberg never retrieved its lost glory but is still considered to be
the symbol of German Romanticism. It is the focal point of German
Castle Road. The castle has the world's biggest barrel in the wine
cellar holding up to 55,345 gallons of wine.
Eltz Castle
This castle lies in the West of Germany, between Koblenz and Trier.
Eltz Castle is surrounded by a river and owned by the same family which
lived there in the 12th century, around 33 generations ago. The family
lives in one wing of the castle. The castle serves as a museum having
an extraordinary collection of original furniture
and artwork on display. The Knights Hall of the castle has an armor
dating back to the 16th century and an original treasure vault. Some
floors and walls of Eltz Castle still have strong Gothic
plaster, comprising of ox blood, quick lime, animal hair, camphor and
clay. This castle was attacked only once but was never conquered.
The castles in Germany reflect the history, culture and ethnicity
of its people. There are nearly 25,000 castles in Germany. Some of them
lie in ruins, but most of them are well-preserved and serve as museums,
hotels and restaurants.
