Forget Disney World - Live a Real Fairytale Visiting Germany's Castles
- elleno1962
- May 6
- 7 min read
It’s difficult to give this post the due it deserves. Our families' 2024 fall vacation deserves five stars, a blue ribbon, AND a trophy. Best yet? We weren’t expecting to have such a spectacular time. Where in the world were we?
Germany!. Given that both sons have an affinity for medieval history and castles, it seemed like a good idea to embark on a castle hopping adventure. Sure, folks tell me that they’ve visited castles; but on this trip, we wanted to stay in one. This proved to be the first planning challenge.
Back to the internet I went. After refining my search to “castle you can stay overnight in Germany”, I found limited choices. Most looked like they had been modernized to the point of not looking (or feeling) very medieval any longer. One however stood out from the rest.
It is from this jewel on the Rhine I planned our entire 10 day loop trip for four adults including my husband Pete, and sons, Phil (34) and Henrik (30).
If such a trip sounds intriguing, then by all means, please take advantage of my hours of research. I guarantee you a fabulous adventure off the touristy beaten path. We traveled Sept 2-12, 2024 and encountered beautiful weather and few crowds.
Buckle up!! We travel by motor car via Germany’s famous Autobahn and yes, we zipped Formula One fast!
We began our big adventure meeting in Frankfurt, Germany. Arriving by train or plane, the four of us arranged to meet at our hotel for the night, Hotel Villa Florentina.
The charming neighborhood inn is located where a Jewish community once thrived 80 years ago. Markers such as these imbedded in the sidewalks are sobering reminders of the horrors of hate and destruction of WWII.
On foot, we spent the afternoon meandering through the financial district to New Old Town where we fell in love with the recently reconstructed medieval buildings, cafes, and St. Bartholomew's Cathedral. Of course we had to climb the 328 steps to the top of its tower.
The next morning, Phil and Pete took off by foot for the Avis rental car facility at the Frankfurt Main train station. They returned shortly with our coach for the next week, a 2024 Spanish built Cupra wagon. We quickly checked it over before loading it to the gills and assuming our positions for the duration of our car trip.
“I’m the driver all week”, declared Phil before we had a chance to open a door. Because my elder son possesses a European license and has faster reflexes than the rest of us, none of us argued. Henrik, at 6’10”, rode shotgun since he didn’t fit well anywhere else. Pete and I climbed in the middle row seats happy to let our boys do the driving and navigating.
Phil explained that while there are plenty of rules to know about driving on the Autobahn, a few stand out:
Travelers Tip: 1) It is unlawful to pass on the right. 2) Black and white signs with diagonal stripes mark the beginning of no speed limit zones. This continues until a speed restriction is denoted by a red circle with a number inside 3) Double check there is no car speeding up on your left before you enter any left lane 4) NO TAILGATING! If you do not leave two seconds between you and the car ahead of you, you can lose your license and/or be heavily fined 5) Emergency lanes are ONLY for emergencies. Running out of gas is not an emergency and you may be fined.
Let the adventure begin!!
Our Cupra turned out to be a fun, comfortable and responsive car. The best thing about being in your own vehicle is that when you see something interesting, you can stop. When signs for Burg Rheinstein Castle came into view, we voted unanimously to pull over and explore. What a great pit stop. After enjoying a self guided tour in the 14th century castle, we indulged in a delicious lunch with a glass of local wine on the patio overlooking the Rhine.
Travelers Tip: Burg Rheinstein Castle offers overnight accommodations described as "romantic".
Quickly feeling the medieval vibe, we eagerly continued on to find “our” castle upriver in Oberwesel. It's name?
Less than fifteen miles further down the two lane highway, the car navigation system alerted us to turn left. Almost immediately, we started the climb up--and up--and up. As the town below disappeared, we wondered, “Where exactly IS this castle?”
After completing more than a few switchbacks, the road seemed to disappear. Phil stopped the car abruptly. We all craned our necks. All we could see ahead was a sharp curve leading to a very narrow looking wooden bridge. “Were we supposed to cross this?” “Would our car even fit?”
With no other choices available, Phil cautiously guided our wagon onto the bridge, finding just enough space (no Winnebagos here). As we crossed the chasm, we imagined what it must have been like to do so on horseback centuries earlier.
With only stone walls still visible, we located what seemed like the proper parking lot. Unloading quickly, we dragged our rollaways along the steep cobblestones toward where we hoped to find an entrance. I wondered to myself how folks less able than us manage.
Travelers Tip: Read your hotel reservation materials carefully. If I had paid attention, I would have seen the notice that guests can be met at their vehicles by staff with a golf cart for luggage.
Ok, so this is where I wish I were a literary genius and I could write better to describe how we felt when arriving at the courtyard of Schonburg Castle, built between 1100 and 1149. That's 900 years ago folks! Let me start with adjectives such as: magical, amazing, fairy tale-like, historic, breathtaking. From the moment we checked in, we felt transported to the time of King Arthur. Had we gone through a time machine when crossing that very cool bridge?
Our friendly host welcomed us with a quick tour of the common areas before leading us to our own chambers. Phil and Henrik had single accommodations with a room key right out of Sleeping Beauty. I don’t know if I’d ever seen either son so giddy with delight. Pete and I were shown to our guest suite including a medieval era style bed, modern bath, desk, and living area complete with fresh fruit, wine, and a personal scroll with hotel information.
The best thing about this is that it didn’t feel Disney fake; this was the real deal!
Schonburg Castle is so fascinating, you may not wish to leave the grounds. In the four days we stayed, we barely found time to explore the vast “secret” garden, complete with a tree house with actual books on the shelves.
There are hidden passages, a dungeon room where you are still invited to smoke your cigar, and alcoves and nooks galore.
During the summer, spring and fall weekends, you can arrange for a tour of the castle tower dating back to the 12th century even if not staying as a guest.
And, yes, there are wonderful hiking spots nearby. We spent an entire day exploring the Geierlay Suspension Bridge and environs. I’ll let our photos do the talking. Even Henrik, not fond of heights, said “I have to do it”. And he did.
Travelers Tip: There are parking lots on either side of Geierlay Bridge giving you options of how much you wish to walk. While it looks fun and easy to descend a big hill/mountain, please keep in mind that “what leads down, usually must be walked back up”. Fortunately, we brought just enough water with us because our hike in and out proved longer and more challenging than we originally planned.
Our second full day was filled with a spontaneous hike down the path from the castle leading into the town of Oberwesel. We delighted in a fabulous Thai lunch at Weinhaus Wieler. Our meals were reasonable but still; we felt surprised upon learning that the restaurant accepts no American bank cards. Fortunately for us, the bank (and ATM) were just a few yards from our table. Once again, we reminded ourselves to always carry Euros for meals and purchases in smaller European towns.
Sadly, it was time to move on from our fairy tale home. Sept, 6th, we loaded up our car after another scrumptious breakfast in the hotel's bistro before heading toward our next destination - Baden Baden.
Could anything else top what we had already experienced?
Stay Tuned
** The reference "Who Da Thot It" is for a much beloved bridge that crossed Clear Creek in my hometown of Shelbyville, Kentucky. Like Schonburg Bridge, both were entered via a spine tingling 90 degree turn. As a kid, my dad loved to take us across the rickety old structure after church. Each time; when crossing, I held my breath wondering if the old truss bridge would "hold one more time". Sure enough, in the late 1970's, Who Da Thot It bridge did collapse, just after my former minister at First Christian Church crossed it going north. Pastor Collins reported seeing the headlights of the car in his rear view mirror as he crossed. Then - no headlights. The car with the bridge had collapsed into the creek below. Amazingly, no injuries were reported. The truss designed bridge was replaced with a Bailey bridge but this bridge was closed to car traffic sometime in the early 2000's (AI has it wrong).
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