Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz) – a guide to the fairy-tale castle

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Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz) looks like something out of a fairy tale, yet it is entirely genuine: hidden in a wooded valley above the Moselle, never destroyed and owned by the same family for more than 850 years. This guide covers everything you need to plan your visit – 2026 opening times and tickets, the guided tour and the treasury, how to get there by car, train or on foot, and when to go to avoid the crowds.

Eltz Castle and the lower Moselle

Three ways to experience the castle and the valley

Admission tickets are sold on site at the castle – what you can book in advance are convenient day trips and the boat trip that rounds off the day.

Top rated From Frankfurt: day trip to Eltz Castle ★ 4.8 · 25+ reviews · 8 hrs Guided castle visit and dinner, with transport from Frankfurt – the easiest way to see Eltz if you’re flying in and don’t want to hire a car. Check prices & dates → Full day From Cologne: Moselle Valley with river cruise ★ 4.7 · 10+ reviews · 10 hrs A full-day tour from Cologne to the Moselle Valley including a river cruise. Handy if you’re staying in Cologne – check the itinerary to see which stops are included. Check prices & dates → Top pick Boat trip with lock: Cochem–Beilstein return ★ 4.6 · 550+ reviews · 2.5 hrs The perfect second half of an Eltz day: through the lock at Fankel to lovely Beilstein and back to Cochem. Check prices & dates →

See all experiences around Eltz Castle →

Eltz Castle – why it is so special

Most castles along the Moselle and the Rhine are either ruins or 19th-century reconstructions. Eltz is the exception. The castle stands on a rock in a loop of the Elzbach stream, surrounded by water on three sides and by deep forest, and it has come through centuries of wars and sieges. When French troops laid waste to almost every castle in the region during the Nine Years’ War (the War of the Palatine Succession) in 1689 – among them the Reichsburg in Cochem – the Eltz family and the people of the neighbouring village of Müden managed to stop Eltz from being destroyed.

The result is a remarkably intact picture of the Middle Ages and the early modern period: residential towers between 8 and 35 metres high, half-timbering, pointed roofs of Moselle slate and up to 80 rooms. Many Germans recognise the view from the old 500 Deutschmark banknote, which featured Burg Eltz from 1961 to 1995. The castle sits in the middle of the Eltzer Wald, a protected forest of just over 300 hectares – you can’t see a single road or modern building from here, and that is a big part of the experience.

A brief history

• 1157: Rudolf von Eltz is named as a witness in a document issued by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa – the first written record of the family and the castle.
• 1268: three brothers divide the castle between them. Eltz becomes a Ganerbenburg, a castle shared by several branches of one family, with three lines living side by side in their own houses – which is why it looks like a little town of towers.
• 1331–1335: the Eltz Feud (Eltzer Fehde) against Archbishop Baldwin of Trier. Baldwin builds the siege castle of Trutzeltz nearby and forces a peace; Trutzeltz is a ruin today.
• 1815: the Eltz-Kempenich branch becomes sole owner, for the first time since 1268.
• 19th century: Count Karl zu Eltz restores the castle over several decades – unusually sensitively for the time, without major alterations.
• Today: the castle still belongs to the Counts zu Eltz. Since 2018 Jakob zu Eltz, the 34th generation, has been in charge. The family no longer lives at the castle permanently.

What you’ll see: the guided tour and the treasury

The castle rooms can only be seen on a guided tour. Tours start at regular intervals from 9.30am in the upper courtyard and last 35–40 minutes. They are in German; English-language tours are arranged when there is demand, so ask when you buy your ticket. Free leaflets with the tour text are available in English, French, Dutch and Spanish, among other languages.

The tour leads through rooms that look much as they did when the family lived here, with original furniture and objects from several centuries:

• The armoury, with swords, halberds, shields and muskets.
• The Rübenacher Untersaal, where a painting by Lucas Cranach hangs – Madonna and Child with Grapes.
• The Knights’ Hall, the Elector’s Room and the bedchamber, with a small oriel chapel dating from 1520.
• The Banner Hall (Fahnensaal) with its late Gothic star vault – architecturally the most impressive room.
• The Rodendorf Kitchen (Rodendorfer Küche), one of the castle’s four original kitchens.

After the tour you explore the treasury (Schatzkammer) at your own pace; it opened in 1981. More than 500 objects spanning nine centuries are on display: gold and silverwork mainly from Augsburg and Nuremberg, glass, porcelain, jewellery, weapons and curiosities. It is considered one of the most important private collections in Germany. The labels are in German, but a free English leaflet is available.

Eltz Castle opening times 2026 and 2027

Eltz Castle is open from 29 March to 1 November 2026, every day with no closing day – bank holidays included – from 9.30am to 5pm. Last admission at the castle gate is at 5pm. The castle is closed in winter.

The 2027 dates had not yet been published in October 2026. The season usually starts around Easter, in late March or early April, and ends on 1 November. Always check the castle’s official website before you set off.

Eltz Castle tickets and prices

Your ticket covers the guided tour, the inner courtyard and the treasury – there is no separate treasury-only ticket. Prices according to the castle (2026):

Where do you buy tickets? Standard admission tickets are bought on site at the castle. The official website refers to the ticket sales at the castle and makes no mention of advance booking for individual visitors; groups register in advance using the castle’s group form. So you don’t need GetYourGuide or any other reseller for admission itself – what you can book ahead are packages such as the day trip from Frankfurt. Note that both the castle grounds and the restaurant can only be visited with a valid ticket.

How to get to Eltz Castle

The castle is tucked away – that is no accident, and it’s one reason it survived – but it also means the last stretch is always on foot or by shuttle bus. No car can drive right up to it. The official website recommends allowing at least 2.5 and ideally 3 hours for your visit, counting from the car park.

By car or motorhome: parking and shuttle bus

Enter “Burg Eltz, Wierschem” into your satnav – that takes you to the castle car parks on the high ground above the valley, not down by the Moselle. From Cochem it’s around 30 km via the B 49 along the Moselle and then up through Münstermaifeld/Wierschem, a little over half an hour’s drive.

• Parking: approx. €4 per day for cars and motorbikes, approx. €8 for cars with trailers, motorhomes and coaches – cash only.
• Shuttle bus: from Parkplatz 1 (car park 1) roughly every ten minutes, approx. €2 per person per journey, cash.
• On foot: approx. 800 metres from Parkplatz 1, about 10–15 minutes downhill to the castle. Either follow the road past the viewing platform or take the footpath past the famous “500 Deutschmark view”. The way back is uphill – many people take the shuttle at that point.

Travelling by motorhome? See our guide to touring the Moselle by motorhome. Moselkern also has a campsite, Campingplatz Burg Eltz, which you’ll find in our list of campsites along the Moselle.

By train to Moselkern and on foot through the Elz valley

The most beautiful way to arrive is on foot. Moselkern is on the Moselle railway line and is served by the RB 81 regional train between Koblenz and Trier, which calls at all the small stations – from Cochem it’s only a few stops downstream. From the village the path follows the Elzbach up through the wooded valley, past the Ringelsteiner Mühle (a country hotel with a restaurant), and then climbs the final stretch to the castle.

• Moselkern to Eltz Castle: approx. 4.5 km through the Elz valley, according to the municipality of Moselkern. Allow a little over an hour at a gentle pace.
• Ringelsteiner Mühle to Eltz Castle: approx. 2.5 km, 35–45 minutes according to the castle. There is parking here if you’d like to drive part of the way and walk the rest.
• Terrain: woodland path, stony and full of roots in places, and muddy after rain. Trainers are fine in dry weather, but walking boots are better.

By train to Hatzenport and bus 365

If you’d rather not walk, take the train to Hatzenport and then RegioBus 365 via Münstermaifeld to the Wierschem Burg Eltz stop at Parkplatz 1. According to the castle, the bus runs daily from 1 April to 1 November, twice an hour. From the stop, carry on by shuttle bus or walk the roughly 800 metres down. Check the timetable with Verkehrsbetriebe Mittelrhein – in autumn 2026 the route was affected by a road closure between Hatzenport and Metternich.

From Cochem, Koblenz, Frankfurt or Luxembourg – and from a river cruise

• From Cochem: RB 81 train to Moselkern or Hatzenport, or about half an hour by car. Cochem is the most practical base for a visit to Eltz.
• From Koblenz: the same railway line, upstream along the Moselle. Koblenz makes a good base if you also want to see the Rhine and the Deutsches Eck.
• From Frankfurt: around two hours by car. Without a car it’s the train via Koblenz with a change – or an organised day trip.
• From Luxembourg: the RE 11 runs hourly from Luxembourg City direct to Cochem via Trier; change there to the RB 81 for Moselkern or Hatzenport.
• On a river cruise: if your ship calls at Cochem or Koblenz, check whether an Eltz excursion is on offer; otherwise the RB 81 from either town gets you to Moselkern or Hatzenport. Allow the full 2.5–3 hours on site plus travel time, and keep an eye on your boarding time.
• Taxi: the castle’s website lists local taxi firms in Pillig, Löf and Treis-Karden.

Walking routes past Eltz Castle

If you enjoy walking, the castle can be the highlight of a full day’s hike. The Traumpfad Eltzer Burgpanorama is a 12.6 km circular route (approx. 4 hours, 397 m of ascent) starting in Wierschem or at the Ringelsteiner Mühle, taking in both the Elz valley and the Maifeld plateau. Stage 20 of the Moselsteig, Treis-Karden to Moselkern, is 13.6 km (approx. 4.5 hours) and has Eltz Castle as its highlight.

Best time to visit Eltz Castle – and how to beat the queues

Eltz is one of Germany’s most visited castles, and around midday during the summer holidays, at weekends and in October you may have to wait before you can join a tour. A few simple tricks:

• Arrive at opening time, 9.30am – or late in the afternoon. Coach parties usually arrive from late morning to early afternoon.
• Go on a weekday and avoid German public holidays and school holidays if you can.
• Spring and autumn: in April and May the greenery is at its most vivid and the valley is quieter. In October the Eltzer Wald turns yellow and red – the most beautiful time, but also a popular one.

Find out more about the seasons in our guide to the best time to visit the Moselle, and check the Moselle Valley weather – the path through the Elz valley is far more pleasant on a dry day.

Photo spots: where to take the classic shot

• The 500 Deutschmark view: the footpath from the car park passes the spot where the image on the old banknote was taken – the castle seen at an angle from above, with the forest behind.
• The viewing platform by the road: on the way down from the car park the valley opens up and you see the whole castle on its rock.
• The stone bridge to the gate: the final stretch with the bridge and gate tower makes a dramatic picture, especially in the morning light before the crowds arrive.
• From the Elz valley: if you walk up from Moselkern, you’ll see the castle emerge between the trees from below – a completely different perspective.

Bear in mind that photos are for private use only – the castle stands on private land and the family holds the rights to commercial use.

Combine Eltz Castle with Cochem, Moselkern and a boat trip

A castle visit takes half a day, which leaves plenty of time for something else. A popular combination is Eltz in the morning and Cochem in the afternoon: a boat trip on the river, a stroll through the old town and perhaps the Reichsburg. Moselkern itself is a small wine village with a railway station and a few inns, handy for lunch after the walk.

Short on time? A one-hour panoramic Moselle cruise from Cochem lets you see the Reichsburg and the old town from the water. If you’re thinking about several days on the river, read our guide to a Moselle river cruise.

To end the day with a glass of wine, Ediger-Eller, with the steep Calmont vineyard rising behind it, is a short train ride upstream from Cochem. Find out more about the grape that defines the valley in our guide to Moselle Riesling.

Accessibility, dogs, food and practical tips

• Accessibility: Eltz Castle is not accessible. The courtyard, the tour and the treasury involve many stairs and are difficult or impossible to visit in a wheelchair or with limited mobility. The castle restaurants can also only be reached by stairs. The shuttle bus shortens the route from the car park, but not the castle itself.
• Dogs: animals are not allowed inside the castle rooms. The castle’s website doesn’t make it clear whether dogs may come into the courtyard – ask in advance (tel. +49 2672 95050-0).
• Food: there is a self-service restaurant in the outer bailey with simple dishes, drinks and cakes – but only for ticket holders. For a proper meal, eat in Moselkern or Cochem.
• Pushchairs: with the paths, stairs and narrow passages, a baby carrier is a better choice than a pushchair.
• Clothing: sturdy shoes and ideally an extra layer – it’s often cooler down in the shady valley than up by the Moselle.

See where the castle lies in relation to the villages along the river on our Moselle Valley map, and find more ideas in our list of things to do in the Moselle Valley.

Eltz Castle FAQs