Nestled into the countryside and hidden from streetview is the storybook Burg Eltz…read more To start, visiting Burg Eltz takes a bit of planning. You'll want to either hire a tour company to drive you there from a bigger city like Frankfurt (about an hour drive), or rent a car. We went on a small tour and while it was really fun to hear the guide talk to us about the countryside and what we were seeing etc. I do think we could have handled the drive had we decided to rent a car. Once you arrive, if you are American and familiar with the National Parks here in the states, it's going to remind you a lot of US National Park Service parking lots. It's not a massive lot, but in general big enough for tourists and busses to offload people as they arrive. I'm not sure if it costs anything to park but my gut says it probably does as I think I saw some euros exchanged from our driver to the parking attendant. Once you are parked, you have two choices: to either walk directly to the castle along a street, or take the hiking path. I cannot stress how much I encourage everyone to take the hiking path. It's a very easy hike through meandering forest and once you can get the castle into view it's breathtaking. Kind of like how I imagine the castle from Beauty and the Beast to be hidden in the film, is how this is tucked away. It takes a while before it will come into view which adds to the general charm and mystique of the place. All of this being said, the road is great for the walk back if you don't want to hike uphill, there is a shuttle bus that will take you up the road if you are tired, and because of the shuttle and the fairly even path of the road, it makes this castle much more accessible to those who have mobility needs. While at the actual castle there are two lines for tours - one for a German speaking tour, and one for an English speaking tour. This is important to note because we were there on a German holiday and the German speaking line was over an hour wait, while the English speaking line was only about 20 minutes. So, make sure you inquire about which line you are in! The tour itself is very good. The tour guide we had clearly took his job very seriously and had a lot of interesting information to share. My biggest takeaways were that this is one of the most intact medieval castles in Europe, largely due to its remote location as it avoided many bombs that impacted other parts of the continent, and that it is still occupied by descendants of the original owners. Knowing that this is still in the family was really remarkable and added to the general uniqueness of this historic location. Overall, it was a gorgeous castle to visit, and as many others have noted it's well nestled into wine country, so make a day of it and sample some riesling at one of the nearby villages on your way back to the city!

Wish I'd read more about the castle prior to the trip, because I was not expecting such a hike! The…read moreBurg Eltz castle is hidden deep in the hills, surrounded by miles of woods. Off of the street is a large, dirt parking lot with ample parking. From there is a trail head, that begins the hike to the castle. It's muddy, so bring good shoes... and probably water, too. Keep in mind that this castle doubles as somebody's home. It's pretty quiet, and many spots are blocked off from tourists. We paid for a guided tour, which ended up being a lot of fun! The little section we walked through was actually big. It's hard to imagine just how big the rest of the castle is. They, fortunately for me, hold tours in English. It was very educational and kept my interest. Not my favorite castle, not my favorite hike, but it was a good experience nonetheless!

This is hands down one of the more fun castles to tour in the Rhineland. It's not the fanciest, or…read morefilled with the most artifacts, but it is in my opinion the most fun. It's accessible via the rhine river cruises that run up and down the river in this region of Germany, and is a bit of a hike up to the castle, but it's worth it! I will say, it isn't the most accessible if you have mobility needs, though, I do think an electric scooter or wheelchair (with assistance) could likely make it up. I'd call ahead if if you have accessibility questions. Once you make it to the top you purchase tickets in the giftshop and from there you can explore the entire castle. Let me say that again, they let you explore via self guided tour,the entire castle grounds. This is what makes it so special. You want to walk up to the top of the tower? go for it! You want to poke around each room - go for it? Take pictures? they don't care! It's really a treat to be able to immerse yourself in the history at your own pace and really take it all in. You could easily spend two hours here reading labels, climbing to the top of the tower, or simply sitting and enjoying the views from the many scenic panoramas available from the castle itself. Keep in mind, it has a small gift shop and no food options so if you think you'll need a snack I'd pack one, along with some water for your time here.

It's a steep, zig-zagging walk up to the castle, but boy, is it worth it! This medieval castle sits…read moreon a cliffside above the Rhine river and offers the most gorgeous views! There is a tower study that you can climb up to (on external stairs), and a few patios to look out over the river from. The chapel is lovely, as well. Every room was interesting and beautiful in it's own way, even the very rustic kitchen. The hall with all the suits of armor, weapons and hunting implements was impressive considering how small it was. There are benches to rest along the walk up to the entrance, and a small giftshop and courtyard with picnic tables just after it. Tours are DIY. I'm always amazed at how much technology there was back then to allow such large and intricate buildings to be built on these steep, narrow, lofty and difficult-to-access locations. A must-see along the Rhine! 37/2020

Nice views of the castle and bridge from the little piece of land jutting into the Lahn River…read moreadjacent to the lock on the river. Runkel is a beautiful photo op.