Day Trip To Lichtenstein Castle (Schloß Lichtenstein)

From our base just outside of Speyer/Hockenheim in Germany, we did a number of day trips that are easy to get to and worth the time and effort. Our trip to Lichtenstein Castle (which also include the town of Tübingen) was just over an hour-an-a-half south of our base, and just outside Stuttgart. We combined the trip to Tübingen and Lichtenstein Castle, making it an ideal double adventure for one day.

The beauty of going on holiday when everyone isn’t, is that things are nice and quiet – no crowds – less “peopley” as we like to call it. September/October just happens to be when we tend to travel, and in addition to less people, the weather is almost always perfect.

Mondays in Germany tend to be the day most castles/tourist places take the day off, so when planning a trip be sure to keep this in mind. We forgot about that when we visited Lichtenstein Castle, but fortunately the grounds were open on Monday, although not the castle for tours.

Lichtenstein Castle is beautiful little castle –very similar in looks to Neuschwanstein Castle, but not nearly as large, in fact it’s much smaller than you realize when you actually get to see it in real life.

Like many castles in Germany, Lichtenstein was only built as a hunting castle – a weekend retreat if you will for the rich and the ruling class. Built between 1840 and 1842, the castle has a much older history and the original castle (ruins) which is located about 2 kms away, was built in 1200. If you feel like a meandering walk through the woods, the ruins are free to visit and the path to the ruins is clearly marked.

The €2 to enter the courtyard and wander around is definitely a bargain for what you get to see. With very few people around we had plenty of opportunities to get pictures of the castle without big heads and selfie arms getting in the way! It’s not a large courtyard, so it wouldn’t take a lot of people to make it feel congested.

The walk from the car park to the castle is not a strenuous one (unlike many castles in Germany), just a gentle incline. The large clean toilets are located at the restaurant where you can choose between outdoor and indoor dining, whether it’s meal or just a drink/snack. There’s a large play area for the kids to let off steam before or after the castle visit. Right beside the castle is also a ropes course at the Lichtenstein Castle Ropes Course, daredevils from the age of 8 and up can swing through the trees. We heard plenty of screams from the children enjoying the course.

Lichtenstein Castle (Schloß Lichtenstein), TravelBloggers.ca, Iain Shankland, Gail Shankland

After leaving the castle and driving towards Tübingen, the road drops dramatically and you get a great view of the castle up on its vantage point. Finding a spot to stop and take a picture however, is near impossible without blocking traffic.

Related: Day Trip To Tübingen

If you go:
There’s plenty of parking close by the castle (you may have to pay €2 – depending on the time of the year)
Most places such as castles tend to be closed on Mondays, but Lichtenstein Castle (grounds) were open, but NOT the castle itself on the Monday we were there.

Websites: www.schloss-lichtenstein.de/en/ or
www.schloss-lichtenstein.de/en/surrounding-area/ropes-course
www.abenteuerpark-schlosslichtenstein.de

Open hours/Times
April – October 09:00-17:30.
November, February & March (Friday – Sunday) 10:00-16:00
Closed December & January

Admission charges
Castle Courtyard – Adults: €2 // Children: €1
Basic Guided Tour (approx. 30 minutes) – Adults: €8 // Seniors: €7 // Children: €3.50

SatNav Directions:
Lichtenstein Castle, Schloß Lichtenstein 1, 72805 Lichtenstein, Germany

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Iain & Gail started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money, travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.

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