Eltz Castle is considered the epitome of the German knight's castle. It has remained in family ownership over the centuries and is undestroyed. Its history is rich in myths and events, important personalities and great art.
Eltz Castle is different. It has survived all wars unscathed. It has been owned and cared for by a single family ever since it was built. It has incomparable architecture and original furnishings dating back eight centuries. It has an armory and treasury with world-class gold and silver work. It stands on a rock and yet lies in the valley. It is nestled in the Eltz Forest, a nature reserve of great scenic beauty and full of rare plants and animals. It is also in the middle of an attractive hiking area, with the award-winning "Eltzer Burgpanorama" dream trail and other beautiful paths for all abilities.
The inner courtyard of the castle brings together 500 years of Eltz building history (from 1150 to 1650) at a glance and tells the colorful and often complicated story of the coexistence of three Eltz family tribes in a very small space. The guided tour through the interior of the castle with its varied architecture and authentic, complete and valuable furnishings is the heart of the "Eltz Castle Experience". Guests can experience life in the Middle Ages and early modern times.
The Eltz Armory and Treasury houses one of the most important private collections with over 500 exhibits from eight centuries. The focus is on works of German gold and silversmithing, particularly from Augsburg and Nuremberg. Visitors can also admire valuable glass and porcelain, unusual jewelry, ceremonial and war weapons as well as curiosities from eight centuries.
Eltz Castle © F. Barthel, Hamburg
A castle in the middle of a natural paradise
Completely surrounded by forest, far away from any roads or modern buildings, Eltz Castle, like no other historical building, fulfills the fantasy of the untouched, light-filled Middle Ages. The Berlin art professor Hermann Wiesler summed up the magical effect of this place in his words: "Good Germany turned to stone".
Over 300 hectares of the Eltz Forest are a nature reserve classified as a flora and fauna habitat and as Natura 2000, which essentially comprises the floodplain of the Elzbach valley and the former lohe forests on the steep slopes. The forest is considered an "arboretum", a forest with a particularly large number of rare native and foreign tree species.
Eltz is home to a wide variety of plants and animals typical of water, water edge, coppice and high forest biotopes, including some very rare species. However, this valuable biotope can only survive if pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists respect the many designated and permitted paths.
March 27 to November 2, 2021
