Seeing fairytale-style castles is something I always enjoy and when I was near Stuttgart, local friends took me out for a hike one day without telling me there’d be a castle at the end of it. You can imagine the pleasant surprise I got when, huffing and puffing, I turned a corner in the woods and suddenly saw this view!

In fact the castle is Burg Hohenzollern, about thirty miles south of Stuttgart so it’s an ideal destination for a Stuttgart day trip. The castle’s origins date back to the eleventh century. The castle we can see today is actually the third iteration of it: built between 1846 and 1867 for the Hohenzollern family to continue its occupation of the area.

These days it is a local tourist attraction – but mostly just for locals, which is why the Burg Hohenzollern website is unfortunately only in German. Entry is just 5 Euros and there are also special events throughout the year. If you’re not so interested in the inside of castles, then just hiking the woods nearby while enjoying the views also makes for a great day out.

Tips for What to Do in Germany

We’ve lots of travel tips for what to do in Germany.