Lichtenstein and Hohenzollern Castles

We drove to Lichtenstein Castle this morning. This lesser known southern Germany castle would be a great place to spend a full day relaxing with a picnic. The castle grounds are quiet and travelers can explore at their leisure without guided tours or large groups. Around the castle, there are several trails leading out into the forest. 

The castle itself is perched up on a cliffside with beautiful views of the surrounding villages. It looks like it was almost built as part of the hillside, and it seems magical that it survived all these centuries in its perch. 

That afternoon, we drove to the nearby Hohenzollern Castle. This one is much more well known, but still peaceful compared to Neuschwanstein, with a restaurant located inside the castle gates and the option to explore the grounds on your own or take a guided tour into the interior. 

Two families of different royal lines still share ownership of the castle and they have a fascinating painted wall tracing the lineage of both families from the start of the castle to present day. Once again, no photos were allowed inside, but we did get some nice shots of the castle outside and the surrounding villages.

This castle was a favorite of the kids because of all the nooks and crannies (including a secret underground passage) for them to explore. My son was so inspired that he bought a little knight costume to take back on the road with us.

And it was a favorite of the adults because it looked so majestic on the hillside.