We loved our little end of summer field trip to Burg Eltz.

The family and castle are named after the stream Elzbach, or Alder Creek. Eltz Castle has been in possession of the Eltz family for more than 800 years. The present owner of the castle, Dr. Karl Graf von und zu Eltz-Kempenich, alias Faust von Stromberg, lives in Frankfurt.

We paid €0,50 to park and walked the lovely forest path to the castle. It’s about a 1.3 k one way. There’s also a shuttle you can pay to ride.

Around a bend in the forest, you suddenly see the castle!

There’s a stone bridge to the castle.

There are two restaurants on the grounds.

The kids enjoyed climbing up the wall near the free restrooms.

We really enjoyed the treasury museum!

It was a lovely tour of the castle. No photos allowed inside.

And the river is great fun to splash and play!

Visit Burg Eltz!

Daily from 09:30 to 17.30 until 5 November 2017. Usually reopens in March or whenever weather allows. They update the website with info.

Tours available in German, English, French, and Dutch. Audioguides and pamphlets also available in other languages. Treasury self-guided tour included in ticket price.

Adults: €10
Children: €6,50
Family ticket: €28

We took the train to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg offers a pretty town, castle, a large wine vat, and apothecary museum.

You can only view the inside on a guided tour.

It sucked.

I couldn’t hear or understand the tour guide. I was unable to speak or ask questions due to the acoustics since I was told to be quiet by the guide and another family (and my husband) because they couldn’t hear. We were rushed through the castle and I could hardly take any pictures of anything interesting.

The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.

The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is located 80 metres (260 ft) up the northern part of the Königstuhl hillside, and thereby dominates the view of the old downtown. It is served by an intermediate station on the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway that runs from Heidelberg’s Kornmarkt to the summit of the Königstuhl.

The earliest castle structure was built before 1214 and later expanded into two castles circa 1294; however, in 1537, a lightning-bolt destroyed the upper castle. The present structures had been expanded by 1650, before damage by later wars and fires. In 1764, another lightning-bolt caused a fire which destroyed some rebuilt sections.

There are four ways to get to the castle – car, bike, funicular, or walking.

We walked. It was hot.

We gathered for the next English tour, then they divided us in half with two different tour guides.

We entered into a room with lots of fun statues, old books, and things I wanted to look at. The guide explained none of it and gave no time to view it.

 

Then we went inside the castle and upstairs. There were these fun trunks with a gazillion locks.

Lots of little rooms with decorations and paintings.

We loved the fireplace!

Then we were in the chapel that is no longer used except for pretty.

The tour was over.

We made our way over to the BIG VAT.

The Heidelberg Tun or Great Heidelberg Tun, is an extremely large wine vat contained within the cellars of Heidelberg Castle. There have been four such barrels in the history of Heidelberg. In 1751, the year of its construction, the present one had a capacity of 221,726 litres (58,573.8125 U.S. gallons). Due to the drying of the wood its current capacity is 219,000 litres (57,853.6795 U.S. gallons). One hundred and thirty oak trees were reputedly used in its construction. It has only rarely been used as a wine barrel, and in fact presently enjoys more use as a tourist attraction, and also as a dance floor since one was constructed on top of the tun.

Heidelberg Castle has a history of enormous barrels; today’s barrel (Fass) is the fourth in the history of the Neckar town.

1. Johann-Casimir-Fass (1591)
2. Karl-Ludwig-Fass (1664)
3. Karl-Philipp-Fass (1728)
4. Karl-Theodor-Fass (1751)

When the French army captured the castle, the soldiers believed the empty wine barrel to be full of wine; their hatchet marks left on the barrel were later visible to tourists. According to tradition and local legend, the eternal keeper of the enormous Tun remains Perkeo of Heidelberg, once a court jester and master of the castle’s spirit production (and a famously Herculean wine drinker).

We looked at the view from the terrace.

Then we toured the Apothecary Museum. This was our favorite part!

We won’t take the train again. We couldn’t pack enough snacks and drinks in the backpack for all six of us on a hot day. It’s just so much easier to drive and pack up a picnic and be comfortable.

Hours

Courtyard: 8:00am – 6:00pm (last entry 5:30pm)

Big Vat: 8:00am – 6:00pm (last entry 5:50pm)

Pharmacy Museum: 10:00am – 5:30pm (last entry 5:10pm)

Rates

Courtyard, Great Cask, and Apotheken-Museum: Adults €3.00

Tours of interior are an additional €4.00 for adults. Tours are in English daily, when demand is sufficient.

Heidelberg is about 1.25 hours from Ramstein and 2.25 from Spangdahlem.

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Medieval Unit Study

Nanstein Castle takes its name from red sandstone.

It was built around the year 1162 after Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I demanded its construction as additional defense for the Palatinate.
In 1504, German knight Franz von Sickingen, inherited part of the castle after his father’s death in the War of the Bavarian Succession, finally acquiring the entire castle in 1518. He immediately began extensive refortification to make the castle suitable for firearms.
Nanstein is well known for an elaborate siege during the Knights’ Revolt in 1523 which claimed the life of von Sickingen. The fall of Nanstein was a symbol for the decline of castles in the Palatinate.
In 1542, von Sickingen’s sons recovered Nanstein as a fief and started reconstruction of the castle. Reinhard von Sickingen completed the reconstruction in 1595. In 1668, Elector Charles I Louis forced Lotharingian troops from the castle and razed the fortifications.
In the 19th century the first conservation work was done on Nanstein, and this has continued to the present day.

The kids were super excited to see their first castle!

We hiked all over the castle and grounds.

Katie thought it was hilarious to stand in the garderobe.

Fun standing in little niches.

Love this fountain!

Look at that gorgeous view of Landstuhl!

There’s a great little cafe too. We got our first taste of German food – great salads, schnitzel, and beer!

Burg Nanstein has lots of fun events and festivals year round.

Opening times:

Jan. – March:    10:00 to 16:00
April – Sept.:   09:00 to 18:00
Oct – Nov:       10:00 to 16:00
December:       closed
Mondays, except holidays: closed

Admission prices:

Adult€4,00
Children (ages 7+) €2,50
Family ticket 1 (1 adult and children) €4,00
Family ticket 2 (2 adult and children) €8,00
Audioguide €1,00
Castle guides €1,10 in German and English

Burg Nanstein is about 5 minutes from Ramstein and about 1.25 hours from Spangdahlem.

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Medieval Unit Study

You might also like:

• PCS to Germany
• PCSing OCONUS with a Vehicle
• Best and Worst KMC
• 13 Best Restaurants in KMC
• Shopping in Germany
• German vs. American Bacon
• What to Do with Clothes
• Gartenschau Dino Park
• Kaiserslautern Volkspark
• Kaiserslautern Wildpark
• REAL Store Tour
• Karlstal Hike
• Hohenecken Castle Ruins

We’re studying the Middle Ages this year and so we need to visit ALL THE CASTLES.

We loved touring Reichsburg Castle in Cochem!

It is the large largest hill-castle on the Mosel.

Tours are given in several languages from 9-5 daily, from March till November. We had a German guide who spoke English well and so she gave the tour in both. And we had little flyers to explain the sites too!

We were able to drive almost all the way and park in a school parking lot. Getting back down wasn’t fun in our big minivan though.

We like fountains!

Here is the timeline at the entrance.

The majestic gate:

Look at this gorgeous mosaic on the tower!

Nice dining room

I love stained glass! And that table.

We should always decorate with antlers.

Here is the courtyard well:

It’s good luck to rub the mermaid:

My GIRLS!

A rare family photo on the balcony. Our lovely tour guide offered to take this!

The village of Cochem is super cute too.

There’s a fun little chairlift with great views. We walked around on top of the hill and there’s a restaurant, of course. You can take the lift roundtrip or 1-way and hike.

There’s a good parking garage right by the chairlift and we walked around the town. There’s a shuttle bus that travels from the town up to the castle.

We bought some lovely wine to take home and gelato for the kids.

Cochem is about 1.5 hours from Ramstein and about an hour Spangdahlem.

Castle tickets:

Adults: €6

Kids: €3

Family: €16

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Medieval Unit Study

Linking up: Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Crazy Organized, Marilyn’s Treats, The Quintessential Mommy, Donna Reidland, Play Dough and Popsicles, Practical Mom, Blogghetti, Life of Faith, Frog’s Lilypad, Lamberts Lately, Children are a Blessing, I Choose Joy, The Deliberate Mom, Pat and Candy, Raising Homemakers, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, A Little R&R, Whole Hearted Home, Holly McBerty, Cornerstone Confessions, F Dean Hackett, Rich Faith Rising, Bloom Designs, My Learning Table, Oh My Heartsie Girl, VMG206, Sarah Celebrates, Happy and Blessed Home, Creative Homekeeper, Organized 31, Hip Homeschool Moms, The Natural Homeschool, Crystal and Co., Christian Montessori Network, A Kreative Whim, Curly Crafty Mom,

We explored the Hohenecken Castle Ruins one afternoon.

It’s an easy drive from the KMC area. We were pleasantly surprised by this little gem in the woods.

We drove to Hohenecken village and parked in the public lot down the street from the entrance.

We walked and followed the signs to this hiking trail. Wild blackberries and pretty flowers lined the path.

The kids had fun walking up the hill and peeking through the trees to see the castle. It’s fun to see the wildflowers and berries.

The castle walls are still well-preserved.

The kids loved the little medieval festival that we didn’t even know was happening. Displays of knight’s armor, traditional cooking methods, and crafts were entertaining for the kids. We’ll review this for medieval studies in history!

There were handmade leather boots and naturally dyed yarn from local plants and berries.

The imperial castle “Honecken”, first mentioned in 1212, was constructed for the protection of the imperial lands and the imperial palace. It was the seat of the dynasty of the estate officials of Hohenecken whose members rose to high office. In 1481 one quarter of the castle was sold to the Electorate of the Palatinate. In 1525, during the Peasants’ War, it was ravaged by peasants.

Around 1560 the castle was expanded. Following disputes between the Hohenecken family and the Electorate, it was partially destroyed in 1668 and completely blown up by French troops in 1689 during the Palatine War of Succession. The ruins are one of the most impressive testimonies of Hohenstaufen architecture.

The tower and tree in the courtyard.

Keep an eye on the kids if they wander and explore. There are no railings and lots of rubble, holes, places with no steps.

The view from the castle of the village:

The ruins and festival were free, which we love! It’s an easy hike with kids. They had fun exploring.

Hohenecken is about 20 minutes from Ramstein and 1.5 hours from Spangdahlem.

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Medieval Unit Study

You might also like:

• PCS to Germany
• PCSing OCONUS with a Vehicle
• Best and Worst KMC
• 13 Best Restaurants in KMC
• Shopping in Germany
• German vs. American Bacon
• What to Do with Clothes
• Gartenschau Dino Park
• Kaiserslautern Volkspark
• Kaiserslautern Wildpark
• REAL Store Tour
• Karlstal Hike
• Burg Nanstein

We spent the weekend in Bavaria in May. We stayed at Edelweiss, which was well-positioned for what we wanted to see and do.

One day we drove to see the fairy tale castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenchwangau!

The trip was little over an hour from Garmisch. The route took us a bit through Austria. Make sure you have an international driver’s license. And stop at a Petrol station on the border to get your toll sticker!

Parking and Tickets

There are several parking lots at the base of the hill. I think we paid €6 for the day.

We got there early to get in line to purchase tickets at the ticket center in Hohenschwangau. We didn’t have to wait too long!

TV screens show the tour times so you have to request when you wish to tour each castle, so make sure you have time to hike to the castles, rest, eat, use the toilet, and see the museum!

You can also order tickets online. You have to figure what time you want your tours and how much time it will take at each castle and the museum if you get the combo ticket. There is a separate line in the same building on the right side to pick up your prepaid tickets. You’ll see the sign.

Children under 18 are admitted FREE!

We got two combo tickets “Königsschlösser” (both castles and the museum): €24 each

Getting to the Castles

There are shuttle buses and carriage rides to the castles. Shuttles – Ascent: € 1,80 Descent: € 1.00 Both Ascent and Descent: € 2,60. Carriage rides – Ascent € 6,00 Descent € 3,00. Or you can hike up for free. The roads are paved but steep.

We were all excited to see Neuschwanstein Castle.

I didn’t brave the bridge (Marienbrücke) to get the really cool pictures. My family is still mad at me. See some pics here. It is now closed for renovations.

The entrance gate to Neuschwanstein Castle.

No photography is allowed inside. There are a lot of swans.

We promised the kids we could take the horse and carriage ride down from Neuschwanstein Castle. The hike up was very steep and we were exhausted.

We grabbed some quick lunch from a shop at the base of the Neuschwanstein trail- wurst, goulash, and snitzel. Everybody was happy.

I was surprised by the appearance of the yellow Hohenschwangau Castle.

There were lovely fountains and gardens.

Again, no photography inside. There were lovely murals on the walls.

The kids liked the Museum of the Bavarian Kings and looking at the Alpsee.

The view from the car on the way back to Edelweiss: Tirolian Austrian Alps. Just gorgeous.

On the way back to Edelweiss, we ate at Waldwirtschaft am Mittersee.

The couple who owned and ran it were just precious. They were so welcoming and concerned about us.

We got traditional regional food: pork knuckle and fish.

The salad was delightful.

Liz and I shared a flaming strudel for dessert.

The kids got these adorable clown ice cream sundaes.

This has been one of our favorite trips so far!

See our Weekend in Bavaria.

Studying Castles and the Middle Ages

Resources:

• A Medieval Feast Unit Celebration
• Knights and Castles Lapbook
• This castle-shaped lapbook is way cute!
• Lots of Middle Ages activities from Homeschool Share
• Middle Ages Notebooking & Coloring Pages
• Medieval Unit Study