Lichtenstein Castle

View of Lichtenstein Castle. Photo by: Gregg Manalo

This beautiful gothic revival castle is located in Honau in the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. We decided to include this in our list of places to visit on our way to Munich. And why not, it is a short 40-minute drive away from the location of the Hohenzollern castle.

View of the Castle from the parking area. (Photo by Gregg Manalo)

Unlike Hohenzollern castle, Lichtenstein was built on a cliff overlooking a river and a valley. This castle is also very accessible to cars, bikers, commuters, and hikers. From the parking space, we only had to cross the street and we were on the castle grounds. Parking could be difficult if you arrive towards lunchtime, so make sure to manage your schedule very well. We arrived towards lunchtime so we had to search for an available parking space to park our car. In addition, the courtyard was also already crowded which was a challenge especially that I wanted to have a solo picture of myself in front of the castle.  

View of the Castle Tower from the Garden. (Photo by Gregg Manalo)

The entrance to the castle ground was 2 euros (student price), but if you want to see its collection of weapons and armors, you need to pay more.  

Entrance Fee Matrix. (Photo by: Gregg Manalo)

Three of the amazing characteristics of this castles are: the wooden bridge connecting the main tower (where the collections are maintained) to the courtyard, the tower which is a reminiscent of the fairy tale Rapunzel, and fact the castle was built right on a rock by the edge of a ravine. 

View of the castle Tower and Wooden Bridge from Courtyard. (Photo by Gregg Manalo)

Actually, from the observatory areas, we had a great view of the deep valley below and the tower on the other side of the cliff. This fantastic view is enough for me.

View of the Valley from the Castle ground. (Photo by Gregg Manalo)

Hohenzollern Castle

Photo by: Gregg Manalo

Germany has so many interesting and historic castles scattered all over the country. My interest in German castles was ignited by a short visit to the Rhein valley in 2012. There, I saw castles and ruins along the Rhein River pretty much like the ones in Loire.

Photo by: Gregg Manalo

My fascination with Hohenzollern castle started when came across a website listing the most beautiful castles in Germany. This Castle, like most castles, was strategically built atop Berg Hohenzollern, a 234 m (768 ft.) hill, and standing majestically overlooking the towns of Hechingen and Bisingen. In fact, it can be easily spotted from the country road, which visitors need to traverse to reach the residential castle. Getting there however is no easy task. Cars cannot be parked directly on the castle grounds, unless possessing a special permit, so visitors must either take the steep footpath – combination of asphalted foot path and steps – or take the shuttle which go every 10 minutes. We decided that we are healthy people, so we opted to take the challenging footpath.

Photo by: Gregg Manalo

So after 10 minutes of the tiring ascent, we were rewarded by the view of a gate welcoming us to the castle. We passed through several other gates and winding tunnel-like passage before reaching the main square of the castle. We were in fact very early that we did not have to pay for the entrance to the castle. We only had to pay 8 euros (student entrance rate) when we were tempted to see the interior, but it was just a few halls showcasing some of the properties of the royal family. So I would say, the exterior of the castle would be enough.

Photo by: Gregg Manalo

My advice: Do come early before the swarm of tourists arrives for you to have a wonderful view of the castle and a more private photo sessions. This tourist spot can be really crowded come lunchtime

Photo by: Gregg Manalo

Loire Valley: Where Castles Abound

Blois Castle

Blois Castle

Entrance to Chambord Castle

From our short stay in the Mediterranean town of Cassis in southern France, we headed to Blois where the famous Loir river runs through. The reason why we were visiting Blois is not because of the river cruise but because the number of castles built along the Loire River hundreds of years ago. Loire Valley spans 280 km and is situated in the Loire River.

Rivers or any form of water provide good transportation for people then and now. I suppose that the monarchs or aristocrats in the 13th century strategically built those castles there because of accessibility since this river empties at the English Channel.

The first castle that I visited was the Blois Castle. It is situated in the heart of the city over-looking the Loire. From there, one could see the primary colors of the city which are represented by the roof, walls and bricks of the buildings there.

Driving westward along the banks of Loire and crossing one of the bridges, one will find the Chambord Castle. The entrance fee per person was around 10 euros which would give a visitor access to the castle and its stables. I am not so sure, but I think the garden was excluded. It costs an extra fee.

The gate to the castle opens at 10 AM and I recommend to have your breakfast before going there because food around the area was expensive and it's a long way up to the castle which is situated on top of a hill. Once you reached the top, you will be greeted by a beautiful garden and big pine trees. Walking past these pine trees, the Castle will surprise you with is beautiful facade.For me, it looks more beautiful than the Blois Castle. Just like in the olden time, a bridge has to be laid down in order to gain access to the castle. It was like in a fairy tale land!

Chambord Castle had furniture inside. The display inside each room showed how the aristocrats lived during that time. It was elegant and superflous, I should say.

We could have stayed much longer, but there are more castle awaiting us.

Tip: If you want to see all the castles in Loire Valley, allot at least a week. There are so many castles in that region and visiting a castle including its rooms and garden requires at least half-a-day already.