Castles, Palaces & Ruins

With battlements and towers, this castle looks straight out of a storybook. The Neo-Gothic complex dates from 19th century, but there has been a fortress here for almost 1,000 years.

Standing high on a cliff above the Danube, Schloss Sigmaringen was built as a fortress. Over the centuries, it has been transformed into a royal residential palace, complete with fairytale towers and turrets, bay windows and terraces. 60 miles/100 km south of Stuttgart.

Built in the 11th century by the Dukes of Urach, in the 16th century Hohenurach Castle was developed into a major fortification by the Dukes of Württemberg. It has been a ruin since 1765 and is Bad Urach's landmark.

The medieval monastery complex of Bebenhausen is nestled in the rolling hills of the Schönbuch Nature Park. Some of the buildings were converted into a royal hunting lodge in the 19th century.

Lichtenstein Castle is also known as the 'fairytale castle of Württemberg', as its architectural style and furnishings are reminiscent of the Romantic period. Thus, it sees itself as a homage to the Middle Ages.

The Residential Palace is one of the few in Baden-Württemberg that have existed since the late Middle Ages. Count Eberhard Bart, the first Duke of Württemberg, was born here and lived here with his Italian wife Barbara Gonzaga di Mantova until they moved to Stuttgart in 1482.