Ready for a weekend trip? This time we are going to a beautiful fairy tale castle, at a 2-hour drive from Belgium, in the Eltz forest in Germany. This trip is perfect for nature-lovers and those who want to visit something worthwhile during the weekend.
Eltz Castle
Fortress Eltz is a special building that survived all the wars throughout our history. Today the castle is still owned by the Eltz family since the 12th century. They own one of the largest waepon and treasure rooms in the world. The architecture in itself is already very distinctive but it is even more unique due to its location. The castle is built on a 70-meter rock overlooking the 300-hectares Eltz forest, perfect for everyone who loves a beautiful hike.
Everything you need to know before going
When you arrive at "Burg Eltz" you will see one big parking, this one will cost you 2 euros for a day and it is the only one available in the neighborhood. There is a guard overlooking the parking area and the barriers close at night.
From there you can take several routes towards the castle. Every hike has a different length and scenery, depending on how much you want to see the forest. The shortest hike is 800 meters and starts at the barrier, but is, in my opinion, not as pretty as the walkway on your right, who is 1,3 km and will give you an amazing viewpoint over the castle as seen in the video. All the hikes are indicated on the boards near the entrance of the parking. Experienced hiker of want to challenge yourself? I would recommend you the once and only " Eltz fortress panorama road" with a length of 12 km overlooking the whole forest and the castle from all sides.
If you have difficulties walking, then you can take the "Burg shuttle bus" only available during the weekends. They ride every 10 minutes from the castle back to the parking. Because the parking is located higher up, it could be useful to take the bus back after your visit.
Practical info
Drones are strictly forbidden because the castle is still inhabited (private domain)
You can have beautiful "as-like" drone shots from the road towards the parking
Entrance fee: 11€, students: 7€
Guided tours possible every 10 minutes, they take about 40 minutes
You would need approximately 2,5 hours to visit the castle and its chambers. The castle is a well-known touristic place and can be crowded. I recommend going after 4 pm to avoid the crowd or before 11 am if you are from the region.
There is a restaurant that serves fantastic traditional German food for those who want to try out a delicious schnitzel. They only open during lunch!
Don't want to cross the border? Did you know Belgium has more than 3000 castles? Check out this blog post on the best 10 countryside castles in Belgium!
I hope you will enjoy the castle as well as the forest. If you visit the fortress, let me know by tagging me in your pictures on Instagram: @fly_along and I will gladly repost your beautiful moments in "Burg Eltz"! I wish you all a very lovely weekend!
Keep on dreaming and Fly Along!
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