Walking Travels - Hiking to Burg Eltz (Day 5)

If you want to indulge a love of castles then a visit to Germany is a must. There are tons of castles. Some rebuilt and fully restored others lying in ruin. The one that was top on my list of places to visit was Burg Eltz a castle that is completely intact having never been damaged or destroyed in over 850 years. Not only that but the same family is still living in the castle today and many of the original furnishings are still on display. Pretty amazing!

Burg Eltz is located above the Mosel River between Koblenz and Trier. 

The beautiful Mosel River in Germany.

We could have taken the easy route and rode the free shuttle bus from the car park but what fun is that? So we parked at the bottom and hiked through Eltz forest to the castle. 

It was a nice walk and only took us about an hour. The trail was fairly flat in most parts until we reached the castle and then it was a matter of hoofing it up the hill! Thankfully the trail was mostly in the shade because it was so hot I felt like I was still in Florida. 

(Travel note: Germany is hot in September!)

But the sight of the castle as we rounded the last bend made it all worthwhile.

You can walk all around the castle, the courtyard and the surrounding hills but the only way to see inside is by guided tour. Tours in German run ever 10 minutes and English every 25. Our tour guide was funny and gave an interesting history of the castle. He also informed our group that the next Eltz son in line to inherit the castle was currently single. Several in our group offered up their daughters! I'm not sure I'd want the responsibility of keeping the castle in the family. 

After the hike up and exploring the castle we had to refuel at the outdoor cafe before heading back down to the car. 

Curry bratwurst was on my list of foods to eat on this vacation and happily it was on the menu. And of course we couldn't pass up a little dessert. 

Chocolate and cherries a perfect combination!

All in all it was a great day. A nice hike in the forest, a tour of the castle I wanted to see and dessert. 

Life is good!

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday- 

mostly about walking.