1. Parkhotel Wasserburg Anholt, North Rhine-Westphalia
A moat lends any castle stay a touch of gravitas, and this is no exception. Set within a 34-hectare park bursting with magnolia trees, this grandiose medieval stay lies beside the Dutch border in Germany’s deep north-west. An ornate on-site museum is a delightful bonus for guests, with works by masters such as Rembrandt, Jan van Goyen and Bartolomé Murillo on display, while the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant is even more unexpected amid all this Germanic grandeur. Beyond the castle grounds, the outdoors beckon. Spot lynx, boar and deer at nearby Biotope Wildlife Park, or take to the gently undulating roads of Münsterland to cycle the untaxing 100 Castles Route.
More information: Rooms from £179 per night, including breakfast; schloss-anholt.de
2. Burg Rabenstein, Bavaria
Scanning bouquets of forest from its rocky plateau in the Bavarian upland of Franconian Switzerland, this castle’s bucolic setting is as peaceful as it is spectacular. Mornings are soundtracked by gentle birdsong, while the hallways and lounges inside are flanked by silver suits of armour and mounted swords. These nods to the hotel’s medieval aristocratic history extend to the decor inside the 22 rooms and suites, where you’ll find patterned canopy beds and Gothic windows. The vibe extends to a meat-heavy Franconian menu, while outdoor activities are no less on brand, including archery, axe throwing, knights’ tournaments and falconry.
More information: Doubles from £186 per night, including breakfast; burg-rabenstein.de
3. Schloss Lieser, Rhineland-Palatinate
With a location that overlooks the serpentine Moselle (Mosel) River, the slate turrets of this 49-room Neo-Renaissance castle are an imposing sight on arrival. The building itself is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional castle residence, and it was built in the late 19th century by an entrepreneur who started cultivating vineyards on the surrounding hills to produce his own wine. These days, local rieslings dominate glasses beneath the high cross-vaulted ceilings in the castle’s fine-dining Puricelli restaurant (named after the original owner). Nor is this the only comfort close to home. The underground spa includes a swimming pool, sauna and treatment rooms, whereas those after more action may prefer to grab their boots and hit the winding hikes and trails leading into the Moselle Valley, which start from just outside the castle.
More information: Rooms from £175 per night, including breakfast; marriott.com
4. Hotel Schloss Hohenhaus, Hesse
Miles from anywhere, this country house in central Germany’s rural heart sits rather unobtrusively behind ornate wrought-iron gates, with only its onion domes poking above the treeline. Surrounded by 1,200 hectares of forest and agricultural land, local produce is sourced from the surrounding farms, earning the hotel’s Hohenhaus Grill a Michelin green star for sustainability. Yet chef Peter Niemann’s 15-seat, Michelin-starred La Vallée Verte restaurant tends to hog the limelight here. The 22 guest rooms are coloured by warm pastel flourishes, and the on-site spa is just as cosy. Composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in nearby Eisenach, making this stay the perfect base for a daytrip to his chocolate-box hometown.
More information: Rooms from £230 per night, including breakfast; hohenhaus.de
5. Schloss Hotel Wasserburg, Bavaria
Surrounded by the shores of Lake Constance – known locally as ‘Bodensee’ (Earth Sea) – this scenic stay makes the most of its location on the thumb-like Wasserburg peninsula, framed by craggy Alpine peaks. With Switzerland across the water and Austria just down the road, international crossroads don’t come more cinematic than this. Though the hotel’s sloping roof and whitewashed walls aren’t as grandiose as Germany’s more traditional hillside castles, the setting more than makes up for that. Be sure to take advantage of the waterside location by touring on one of the small boats bobbing on the eastern side of the marina, or take your time and unwind on the stony beach that flanks the castle’s western walls.
More information: Rooms from £125 per night, including breakfast; schloss-hotel-wasserburg.de
6. Schloss Purschenstein, Saxony
The Old Bohemian Track was a long-distance medieval trading route through dense Saxony forest and the craggy Elbe Sandstone Mountains. This castle was once a border stop on the way, protecting travellers on the long journey to what is now modern-day
Czechia. The entrance, rising beneath pointed fairy-tale spires, certainly has an element of Hollywood fantasy about it, while inside are 46 rooms neatly decorated with wooden finishes. The vaulted ceilings and layered chandeliers add grandeur to the dining room, and the arched stone cellar even hosts a steam grotto and Finnish-style sauna. It’s perhaps at its cosiest in winter, though, when the surrounding forest is blanketed in snow.
More information: Rooms from £107 per night, including breakfast; purschenstein.de
7. Burghotel auf Schönburg, Rhineland-Palatinate
Old meets new at this hilltop stay, where a 1,000-year-old stone tower and its stocky fortified walls sandwich a tall, red-brick hotel. It’s a curious sight, but the stepped gables and arched windows on the modern building blend in surprisingly well. There’s a tower museum explaining the ramparts in detail, while the rooms – all draped canopy beds and candle chandeliers – exude plenty of medieval kitsch. The produce of the Rhine Valley is at the mercy of the hotel chefs, and the lavish dining room offers an array of protein-heavy mains, including sausage of wild game with bacon sauerkraut.
More information: Rooms from £145 per night, including breakfast; hotel-schoenburg.com
8. Schlosshotel Fleesensee, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Built in 1842 but razed by a devastating fire in 1912, this reconstructed stay was turned into a Soviet military hospital during the Second World War before housing a kindergarten (among other things) in later years. These days, this Neo-Baroque castle hosts 179 sleek rooms and suites, plus a grand mahogany lobby that sprawls beneath circular light installations. Its flat landscape, beside the languid Mecklenburg Lake Plateau, has made it a golfing hotspot, but you needn’t bring your clubs to enjoy a stay; there’s cycling, tennis, a spa, a library and fine-dining restaurant Blüchers on hand too.
More information: Rooms from £163 per night, including breakfast; schlosshotel-fleesensee.com
9. Schlosshotel Kronberg, Hesse
This country mansion in the spa town of Kronberg, near Frankfurt, was once home to a German empress, and it has played host to the likes of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II and Britain’s King Edward VII – even its golf course was reputedly sketched out by former US president Dwight D Eisenhower. A lavish hall is lined with Prussian antiques, Flemish tapestries and artworks by Rubens and Titian, while the park-like grounds have been laid out in a picturesque English style – all sweeping lawns and snaking paths. The 61 rooms and suites are spacious and furnished in warm colours, while guests can live their best royal lives beneath octopus-armed chandeliers at restaurants Victoria and Enrico D’Assia.
More information: Doubles from £230 per night, including breakfast; schlosshotel-kronberg.com
10. Burg Hornberg, Burg Hornberg, Baden-Württemberg
Set amid the Neckar Valley’s dense foliage, the rusty-orange-coloured turrets of Burg Hornberg rise high over the neat vineyards that tumble down to the river at the foot of the valley. But despite its beauty, this medieval castle, just one hour north of Stuttgart, is perhaps better known as the fortress home of 16th-century knight Gottfried von Berlichingen, who came to be recognised as Götz of the Iron Hand after he had his hand shot off in battle and replaced by a weighty prosthetic – it’s said he could even write with it. These days, Burg Hornberg’s sweeping terrace views, 22 rustic bedrooms, hearty Swabian cuisine and meandering hiking trails make this a sublime hilltop stay.
More information: Rooms from £93 per night, including breakfast; burg-hotel-hornberg.de
11. Schlosshotel Rheinfels, Rhineland-Palatinate
Gazing out on the Rhine as it charts a course through the lush, UNESCO-listed Middle Rhine Valley is one of the unadulterated perks of this lofty retreat. This is only embellished by the imposing Rheinfels Castle next door. But despite the presence of the neighbouring ruined fortification, the Schlosshotel Rheinfels doesn’t go hard on its medieval theme, preferring to adopt the timber frame design that is common to the area and once inspired its Romantic poets. The plush spa comes with a pool, steam bath and saunas, while its 67 river-view rooms are overlooked by the myth-soaked Lorelei Rock.
More information: Rooms from £136 per night, including breakfast; schloss-rheinfels.de
12. Burg Colmberg, Bavaria
Built in 1318, this hilltop castle is a delightful pit stop on the Romantic Road, which winds through Bavaria’s timber-framed villages. Inside, Burg Colmberg showcases its historical charms in rooms featuring carved beds, wood-beamed ceilings and narrow windows – the kind you might rain down arrows from. A pair of restaurants includes Burgstuben, which is warmed by a crackling fireplace in winter, while Zur Remise’s airy conservatory puts the surrounding forest on widescreen as you dine on local Franconian dishes. Make sure to sample a pint of Schwarzer Ritte (Black Knight), a locally brewed dark beer inspired by the legendary warrior Wolfram von Colmberg.
More information: Rooms from £111 per night, including breakfast; burg-colmberg.de
