Hohenzollern Castle

The castle on Mount Hohenzollern is the third on the site and by far the youngest, built between 1850 and 1867 in a romantic Gothic Revival style for the family whose name it carries. Historically it is a nineteenth century idea of the Middle Ages rather than the thing itself, and it is best taken on those terms: turrets, battlements and a spiralling walled ramp that wraps the hill several times before letting you through the gate. The setting does the rest. The cone rises alone off the Swabian Jura escarpment, and on autumn mornings the valleys below fill with fog while the towers stay in sun.

What you actually see

• The approach ramp - a spiralling walled road that circles the hill before reaching the gate.
• The bastion walk - a full circuit of the outer terrace with the Jura escarpment on every side.
• The treasury - court silver, regalia and porcelain shown in a vaulted strongroom.
• St Michael's chapel - the oldest surviving part of the complex, with old stained glass panels.

When to go

Late spring to early autumn for reliable opening and warm terraces. October and November bring the inversions that put the castle above a sea of fog, but they are a matter of luck and an early start. Interiors are seen by guided tour, and tours sell out on summer weekends, so book a slot before travelling.

Honest expectations

It is a nineteenth century reconstruction, and visitors expecting an authentic medieval fortress leave disappointed. The shuttle costs extra on top of the ticket, or you walk up a steep gravel road. Cloud can swallow the whole hill for days and take the views with it. Interior tours move fast through fewer rooms than the exterior suggests.

Nearby

The Danube gorge above Beuron, Sigmaringen's palace on the river, and the caves of the Ach valley.