Germany is made up of 16 states. Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg are city-states which, for the purposes of Roads to Ruins offer little or nothing in terms of castles. In fact north of line A (see map below) drawn from Bad Bentheim in the south western corner of Lower Saxony to Berlin there is comparatively little for the castle buff to spend a great deal of time over. Below this line castles become increasingly more prevalent the further south you travel. Below line B on the map there are so many castles you will, from most locations, find it quite possible to visit several sites in a day. They are however often easy to overlook, since they are constructed on some of the most out of the way locations available. Those medievals had no respect for laid-back tourists. The more popular sites will have road signs on major approaches in the area, but lesser sites, and especially unattended ruins, may not have their location marked at all.
Using the folowing map: 
To begin your search click in the area
in which you are planning to travel. You will then be presented
with a map of the state or states you clicked on. Within that
area will be a choice of city areas that will help narrow your
search. The next page in succession will display a graphic of
the city with a series of castles and ruins in that general area
in addition to the primary routes to the site from the core city.
Click on any castle site to view photographs and read histories.
Those castles that are not yet linked to their photos and history
have been verified as existing but have not yet been visited by
me. They will no doubt be included in the future.
In some instances there will be relatively little to investigate as these sites are in poor condition with few if any segments intact. In yet other cases there will be many photographs of various parts of the castle to view. In any case I have found all of them worth the trip for, if no other reason, a good place to hike to, enjoy a quiet, out of the way picnic, and take in a breath of history and often an outstanding view. But knowing what to expect may save you from making a trip to a site that may disappoint you.
If you are fortunate enough to embark on a trip of your own I would give some advice. Give yourself plenty of time. Even with the supersonic speeds allowed on German highways you will need ample time to get to the area and more time to actually get to the site. One site fully absorbed is far better than four sites rushed. See less, Enjoy more. A personal vehicle is virtually a necessity for all but the most popular locations. At the larger, heavily visited sites there will be an abundance of transportation modes available to and from local hotels and towns. But if you want to explore the less accessible locations you will have to work out your own transportation. If time is budgeted that dictates a rental car. Otherwise bicycles, buses, taxis, trains and hiking shoes are all applicable. Even with a car you may be allowed to drive only a portion of the distance from the major road to the actual castle. Either there will not be a paved approach to the isolated castle ruins or the road will be a narrow access road reserved for owners and staff. Many sites have only walking trails, even to very popular attractions, partly because of the German love for walking, partly to preserve the site for future generations, but just as likely due to the prohibitive cost of building roads.
Click on the state you will be visiting to reach the next level.
Enjoy your visit and, hopefully, your real life adventure to Germany's castles and ruins.
| Home | History of Castles | Castle Directory |