Family A Journey to Forever!: Burg Hohenzollern

This was the first look we had at the majestic Burg Hohenzollern. This Castle is on top of a high hill overlooking the Swabian countryside. The is the third castle to be built on this site. The first castle was built in the 11th century however it was destroyed in 1423, A second large castle was constructed between 1454 and 1460. It became an Austrian military compound in the late 18th century. Finally the current and largest of the three castles was reconstructed between 1850-1867 under the direction of King Frederick William IV. It is currently privately owned by Georg Frederick Prince of Prussia and his wife Sophie Princess of Prussia. The Castle sits 855 meters (2,805 ft) above the Swabian Abl and the city of Hechingen.

Look at this amazing, beautiful, breathtaking castle.

Our visit: The first thing we visited were the two chapels. Christ Chapel and St.Michael's Chapel. They were small in comparison to others we have seen. The castle has one more chapel on the grounds but we couldn't see that one. The castle was open to the public. Meaning you got to freely walk through the castle at your own pace. Each room had a tour guide there available and ready to answer your questions. The first room we went into was the Ancestral Hall. It had The Hohenzollern family tree stretching up the walls with names dating from the 11th century. It was pretty remarkable. As we entered the Castle we had to put on huge wool slippers over our shoes. You can imagine how my boys loved slipping and sliding all throughout the castle. They even had robes and crowns available for the kids to wear.

As we entered the Banquet hall and ballroom named Count's Hall we learned that they have a huge christmas party here for some special children each year. We also learned it is 25 meters long. It has several huge bronze chandeliers that hold 48 real candles. They light the candles when they have a party or concert. When the candles burn down and go out the party is over. Ha! The Library resembles a long gallery and connects the formal, representational rooms with the family's former private living quarters. The next room was the Margrave's Parlour or the Kings drawing room. They had the Hohenzollern guestbook which the first entry dates back to October 3, 1867. They still have empty pages in the book so when someone special or famous comes they have them sign the book. They just had a movie filmed at this castle and they had some of the stars sign the book. Something else I found super fascinating were the family pictures framed by the book. Photographs of the imperial family from 1913 to today's generation. Prince Georg Frederick and Princess Sophie had Twin boys Jan 22, 2013. The lady that was sharing all this information with me was telling me bad luck for the second twin. The next room we entered was the Royal Bedchambers and dressing rooms. They were not as big as I imagined they would be. I was surprised by how small they were. But the ornate furniture, the wood floors, the vaulted ceilings covered in fabric the hand painted walls that looked like wall paper were stunning. I could have stayed in the Blue parlor all day. After we turned in our wool slippers we headed out to the museum which included some Royal treasury. The magnificent bejewelled Prussia King's Crown. They had a beautiful silver-embroidered dress that was gorgeous. In the same room was a section dedicated to Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben who assisted General Washington and the Continental Army. We ended our tour in the cellar and casemates. We took a spiral staircase downstairs that lead to the casemates. There was a story told a couple times about a "White Lady"She is said to have sneaked through enemy camp by night bringing food and medicine to troops who were holed up inside the castle during a siege. She was dressed in white.

View of the Castle from the lower portion of the ramp.
One thing I love about exploring Germany is the CASTLES. I love visiting them and being transported back in TIME. Every time I got to a new castle I am in awe of of it's beauty and the history that surrounds it. From the towers, turrets, and crenellations to the winding tunnels and ramps leading up to the main fortress. It's awesome and I LOVE it!

Burg Hohenzollern has a couple real drawbridges. This is something Kayden always looks for. He likes to see if they are real or if they are just put there for looks or decoration. He was so excited to see it was a legit drawbridge. This is where we entered the castle and began our long trek up the winding ramp towards the inner court.

You have to walk through a long tunnel to get to the charming courtyard. They had some beautiful views and some awesome windows but it was too dark inside the tunnel to take any pictures.

Look at these beautiful ancient walls with life-like statues of warriors.

The views from the top of the castle were incredible.
You could see a 360 degree view of the entire region.

I am in love with the doors. I love how each one is so unique and
the carvings are so impeccable. Love love the designs.

Looking down into one of the gardens.
My favorite staircase was this circular one descending down from the ramp.

The entrance to the castle area is through the might "Eagle Gateway".
The guy on the steed is Frederick I, above him is the Prussian eagle together with the Hohenzollern motto "Vom Fels zum Meer" ("From cliff to sea"). The castle ramp is considered a masterpiece of the 19th century fortress architectures.