Burg Eltz: The Fairy tale Castle
Can you recognize this Instagram hot-spot ??
Yes, the answer is Burg Eltz!!
Germany is the land of castles. But If you are looking for a fairytale castle in the mid of a deep forest, you should visit Eltz castle. Or if you are just a castle-enthusiast like me, then also visit Eltz. :D
What makes this castle unique from others, is the location. It is wrapped on all sides by the Eltz forest. You can not see the castle until you reach there. The enchanting castle and the magical forest have created a mysterious world and you will be amazed once you reach there.
Important Fact: Burg Eltz is one of the iconic medieval castles which has never been destroyed and it is still owned and cared by the Eltz family. That means you can see the castle as it is. The castle is named after the stream "Eltzbach" which is in old German "Els/Else" names for the commonly found tree "black alder".
I visited the castle in one summer afternoon as a day trip from Mannheim. If somebody is visiting Cochem or Koblenz they can also include Burg Eltz in their itinerary.
How to reach:
Burg Eltz is situated in Wierschem and can be reached by car, bus, bike, train, boat and of course Taxi. Hiking is also another option.
Traveling by car: Eltz castle car park is reachable via Wierschem. From the car park, one can reach the castle by foot or by shuttle bus. It takes 15 minutes by walking to reach the castle. I did not take a shuttle bus because the forest trail is always scenic. So from the car park, I walked till the castle and came back in the same way.
The shuttle bus costs 2 euro per person and the parking fee is 2 euro as well.
Check out this link for more information.
Traveling via train: If traveled via train, one can purchase tickets using the DB Bahn app. Get down at Hatzenport or Treis-Karden and then take the castle bus till the car park.
Check out the link for more information.
Hiking: Hiking can be a very good option for exploring the castle as well as Eltz Forest.
Information for hiking can be found here.
When to visit: Eltz castle can be visited all around the year. But the castle is open for tours from April 1 to November 1. If you are looking for guided tour, Information can be found here.
Fun Fact: If you want a perfect picture for Instagram, you need to go really early when nobody is there or wait till everybody leaves or the last shuttle bus leaves :P.
We did the same to avoid the crowd. Though we found people like us waiting as well for the Insta-perfect picture. There is also a nice viewpoint where you can take a picture from the top :D
Recommendation: I visited the castle during the summer. I believe it will be more beautiful in the Fall or Winter. I strongly recommend checking the castle-website before visiting to get updated information.