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This article details travel tips to make a day trip to Burg Eltz.
One of the most beautiful, mystical, magical and most definitely a fairytale castle in Germany, there’s nothing not to love about the Burg Eltz castle. Located in western germany, surrounded by greenery and hidden in the forest, this is one of the unmissable places to visit in Germany.
As gorgeous as the Eltz castle is, its history is just as long and interesting and its location is easy to get to. This article provides you with all the travel information needed to plan a day trip to the Burg Eltz castle in Germany.
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History of the Burg Eltz Castle in Germany
The castle Burg Eltz belongs, even today, to the Eltz family who have been the owners of this castle since the 12th century. One of the most interesting facts about Burg Eltz is that throughout approximately 900 years since its origin, the castle has never been destroyed and was never captured by an enemy. It has remained in the possession of the Eltz family through the centuries.
Three branches of the Eltz family have joint possession of the castle, with each branch having sections of the castle to themselves. The family has done a marvelous job, alongside the German government, to restore and maintain the castle to remain the way it has over all these years.
To learn more about the history and architecture of the castle, you can take a tour of the interiors and also pay a visit to their treasury, which contains over 500 exhibits of gold, silver, porcelain, weaponry and jewelry from over 9 centuries!
Burg Eltz Castle Location
Burg Eltz is situated in the Rhineland-Palatinate state in western Germany, to the west of Frankfurt and south of Cologne. The castle is conveniently located in the Mosel valley and wine region, where it was constructed in order to protect the trade route along the Mosel river. The castle can be reached easily by car and even by public transportation from Cologne, Essen, Dortmund, Frankfurt and many other German cities and towns. Not just that, its proximity to both Belgium and Luxembourg make it easy to take a day trip to Burg Eltz from these countries.
Day Trip to Burg Eltz
Given the perfect location of the Burg Eltz in the Mosel valley close to many large German cities, it is very easy to take a day trip to Burg Eltz. Cologne to Burg Eltz takes only over 1.5 hours by car whereas Frankfurt to Burg Eltz takes a little less than 2 hours. It’s location close to the border of Belgium, Luxembourg and France makes it easy to drive from these countries to take a day trip to Burg Eltz castle. All that being said, I highly recommend staying at the nearby charming town of Cochem, seeing all the things that Cochem has to offer and then heading to Burg Eltz, which is only a 30 minute drive from Cochem. This is how we visited the castle and loved every minute of it!
How to Reach the Eltz Castle in Germany
By Car
The drive to Burg Eltz is as scenic as it is convenient. It also saves you some time and makes it super simple to take a day trip to Burg Eltz from Cologne, Frankfurt, Essen, Düsseldorf or many other nearby places. We actually visited this castle on a fairytale road trip across Germany during which we combined a visit to Burg Eltz with many other charming German towns and castles like the nearby town of Cochem.
By Public Transportation (Train+Hike)
To reach the Eltz castle using public transportation, you’ll need to first take a train to the closest railway station to Burg Eltz and then hike to the castle. Take a look at the best way to reach the castle below:
- First, take a train and arrive at the Moselkern station aka Moselkern Bahnhof.
- From here, it is a 4.5 km i.e. over one hour’s hike to the castle
- Once you’re near the Burg Eltz parking lot, you can either take the shuttle bus to the castle for €2 or hike down to the castle within 15 minutes.
- You’ll need to do the exact same journey in reverse while heading back.
As evident, it’s not too hard to reach the castle by public transportation if you’re willing to hike a bit.
Burg Eltz Parking Lot
The Burg Eltz parking lot is close to the castle, about 800 m away. Parking here costs €4 that can only be paid by cash, and no card of any kind whatsoever. The parking lot can get busy if you’re visiting Burg Eltz on a weekend, especially in the popular summer months. It’s best to arrive at the castle around the time that it opens, in order to guarantee a parking spot and low waiting time to get into the castle.
Shuttle Bus to the Castle
The short but incredibly scenic route from the Burg Eltz parking lot to the castle is a mere 15 minutes. However, this short road is quite steep and the hike back to the top is not easy by any means. There is a longer route to the castle which also offers scenic vistas but that takes over 40 minutes to get to the castle. Visitors who are unable to walk to the castle can take the shuttle bus at a low cost.
Because the castle is located in the forest at a steep decline, older visitors or those with impairments may find it hard to go from the parking lot to the castle and vice versa, since the shortest road to the castle is quite steep. Therefore there is a shuttle bus that plies to the castle from the parking lot, and back, every few minutes. A ride in the bus costs €2 for each trip and the journey lasts only a couple of minutes.
Best Time to Visit Burg Eltz, Germany
Burg Eltz is closed during winter and rightly so because seeing the castle with foliage around it feels a lot more magical. Quite naturally, summer is the best time to visit the Eltz castle since you can see the castle properly in the good weather, hike around the castle and fully enjoy your visit to Burg Eltz. That being said, the castle can get a little crowded in summer. Which means difficulty in getting a parking spot and longer queues to enter the castle. This is why I suggest paying a visit to the castle in the shoulder months of September and October.
I visited Burg Eltz towards the end of September 2021 and the weather was absolutely perfect – I just had one jean jacket on but I was comfortable to take it off for pictures. Furthermore, there was plenty of fall foliage around and we could hike around the castle without any issues whatsoever.
Burg Eltz Tickets – Cost and Opening Times
The Eltz castle is open in the months from April to November from 9.30 am to 5 pm. From December to March, the inside of the castle remains closed to the public but one can still see the castle exteriors during this time.
The cost of entry tickets to the castle Burg Eltz are listed below. These tickets guarantee a visit to the exteriors, the treasury and armory in the castle. However, to see the inside of the castle, you need to take a guided tour at an additional cost. The tours can be taken in multiple languages and there is unfortunately no other way to see the inside of the Eltz castle.
| Adult | € 12,00 |
| Adults in groups of more than 20 people | € 11,00 per person |
| Students,persons with disabilities | € 7,00 |
| School classes | € 6,00 per child |
| Family ticket 2 adults -with 2 or more children | € 32,00 |
Burg Eltz Castle Tour
Just like any other castle in Germany, you need to take a guided tour in order to see the interiors of the Burg Eltz castle. These tours last around 35-40 minutes each and are conducted in German, English and French. For tourists who do not speak these languages, they also have fliers in Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Russian, in addition to the aforementioned languages.
The first tour begins when the castle opens at 9.30 am and the last one is held at 5.30 pm. The tours are conducted at regular intervals and are conducted by guides. Furthermore, you can also pay a visit to the castle’s treasury with the same ticket but independently, without the guide or tour.
Also Read: How to Spend a Weekend in Hamburg City
Panorama Hike around the Burg Eltz
There are a number of short and long hiking trails near Burg Eltz. The 12.6 km long panorama trail is the most popular and interesting one, especially during summer when the leaves provide shade and coolness. However, it’s worth checking out some of the other hikes near the Eltz castle if you’re only here for a short day trip. You don’t necessarily need hiking shoes for this hike since it is an easy one with a well-defined trail.
Where to Stay near the Burg Eltz Castle
In case you are travelling from somewhere far and are unable to take a day trip to the Eltz castle, then you can consider staying at the many delightful hotels near Burg Eltz. Since the area surrounding the castle has hills, a river, valleys and sublime sceneries, it’s worth booking a stay near Burg Eltz.
Hotel Ostermann
Hotel Ostermann is set along the Mosel river, only 2.5 km from the Eltz castle. Not only does the hotel have an indoor swimming pool, sun terrace, views of the Mosel Valley, breakfast buffet and lots of activities to offer but it is also the closest hotel to Burg Eltz.
Check availability and prices at Hotel Ostermann on Booking.com
Landhotel Ringelsteiner Mühle
Another well-rated hotel located 2 km from Burg Eltz, the hotel is set in the town Moselkern in the countryside. They offer a rustic bar, a sun terrace, breakfast buffet, homemade cakes and local specialities. The best part about the location of this hotel is that it is situated at the start of the small hike to the Burg Eltz, making it the perfect hotel to book near the Eltz castle.
Check availability and prices at Landhotel Ringelsteiner Mühle on Booking.com
Where to Eat near Burg Eltz
There are two restaurants inside the castle that offer all sorts of drinks like soda, coffee and beer. They also provide food items such as burgers, potato fries, currywurst and desserts. Keep in mind that the restaurants accept only cash so carry sufficient money to cover the entirety of your day trip to Burg Eltz.
Looking for Travel Guides to Germany?
Fairytale castles, charming towns, Oktoberfest and Christmans markets are only a small percentage of awesomeness that Germany has to offer. Take a look at my travel guides to this underrated country in western Europe below to plan your trip to Germany. All links open in a new tab.
- 9 Things to do in Triberg in the Black Forest
- Eibsee – Travel Guide to the Most Beautiful Lake in Germany
- 13 Free Things to do in Dresden in 1 Day
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