Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the same family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The Rübenach and Rodendorf families' homes in the castle are open to the public, while the Kempenich branch of the family uses the other third of the castle.

Location

The castle is surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River, a tributary on the north side of the Moselle. It is situated on a 70m rock spur, on an important Roman trade route between the rich farm lands and their markets.

Description

The castle is a so called Ganerbenburg (castle belonging to a community of joint heirs). This is a castle, divided into several parts, which belong to different families or different branches of a family; this usually occurs when multiple owners of one or more territories jointly build a castle to house themselves. Only a very rich medieval European lord could afford to build a castle on his land; many of them only owned one village, or even only a part of a village. This was an insufficient base to afford a castle. Such lords lived in a knight's house, which was a simple house, scarcely bigger than those of his tenants. In some parts of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, inheritance law required that the estate be divided between all successors. These successors, each of whose individual inheritance was too small to build a castle of his own, could build a castle together, where each owned one separate part for housing and all of them together shared the defensive fortification. In case of Burg Eltz the family comprised three branches and the existing castle was enhanced with three separate complexes of buildings.

The main part of the castle consists of the family portions. At up to eight stories, these eight towers reach heights of between 30 and 40 meters. They are fortified with strong exterior walls; to the yard they present a partial framework. About 100 members of the owners' families lived in the over 100 rooms of the castle.

Platteltz, a romanesque keep, is the oldest part of the castle. In 1472 the Rübenach house, built in the late Gothic style was completed. Remarkable are the Rübenach Lower Hall, a living room, and the Rübenach bedchamber with its opulently-decorated walls.

Between 1490 and 1540 the Rodendorf house was constructed, also in late Gothic style. It contains the vaulted "banner-room".

The Kempenich houses were finished about 1530. Every room of this part of the castle could be heated; in contrast, other castles might only have one or two heated rooms.

In fiction

The starting events of Le Feu de Wotan, a Belgian bande dessinée in the Yoko Tsuno series, take place in Burg Eltz.

External links

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Robin Bertels
3 November 2017
One of the most impressive fortresses of the Mosel region. Guided tours start every 15 min. 2.5km / 30 min. walk from the Ringsteiner Mühle hotel and restaurant in Moselkern.
LukaSH
3 April 2016
Such an awesome place! You feel like in a real fairytale. Beautiful castle, beautiful surrounding!
Matthias
2 June 2015
There are a couple of different approaches to this castle. You can walk 15 - 120 mins and the sight is worth it but the tour through the castle was packed and we even went on a rather rainy day.
Caroline
1 September 2018
I feel completely enchanted! One of the fairytale castles in Germany. From the parking lot, you have 2 options to get to the castle: a 15 minute walk through a mountain forest, or the shuttle bus.
Lydia Unicørn
19 September 2018
Für schöne Fotoaufnahmen am besten erst nachmittags kommen. Vormittags steht die Sonne direkt hinter der Burg und man fotografiert nur gegen die Sonne.
Jo Luchty
4 July 2016
Eine der schönsten Burgen in Deutschland, sehr interessant auch die Schatzkammer und fachlich gute Führung
Load more comments
foursquare.com
8.4/10
snow balls, EnMork and 7,803 more people have been here

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Schloß-Hotel Petry

starting $183

Moselstern Parkhotel Krähennest

starting $137

Hotel Lellmann

starting $80

Hotel Filla Andre

starting $217

Moselstern Hotel Zum guten Onkel

starting $58

Hotel Traube

starting $80

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Burg Bischofstein

Burg (Castle) Bischofstein is a castle on the Moselle River in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Waldeck Castle

Castle Waldeck in the Gemarkung of the village Dorweiler, in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
科赫姆城堡

Paghimo ni bot Lsjbot.

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Castle Kastellaun

Castle Kastellaun is a ruined medieval castle in Kastellaun in the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Moselle Viaduct

The Mosel valley bridge carries the Bundesautobahn 61 over the Moselle

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Goloring

The Goloring is an ancient earthworks monument located near Koblenz,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Stolzenfels Castle

Stolzenfels Castle (German: Schloss Stolzenfels) is a castle near

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Lahneck Castle

Lahneck Castle is a medieval fortress located in the city of Lahnstein

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced ])

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Château de Gruyères

The Castle of Gruyères (in french: château de Gruyères), located in th

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Castel Sant'Angelo

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Castello Scaligero (Sirmione)

Замок Скалігерів (італ. Castello Scaligero) —

See all similar places