June 23, 2023 - Germany
Burg Eltz Castle - Mosel Valley
We drove out of Beilstein to see Rick Steves' favorite castle in all of Europe: Burg Eltz.
"Burg Eltz lurks in a mysterious forest. It's been left intact for 700 years and is decorated and furnished throughout much as it was 500 years ago. Thanks to smart diplomacy, clever marriages, and lots of luck, Burg Eltz was never destroyed (it survived one five-year siege). It's been in the Eltz family since 1157. -- Rick Steves
Here is an aerial view of the castle I captured off a big poster.
Floor schematic of Burg Eltz. The yellow-shaded areas are a courtyard. The castle is actually split up into three homes. It has 80 rooms and 40 fireplaces.
The castle is located in a bend of Elzbach Creek which flows south into the Mosel River.
From a big poster, some of the castle rooms we saw: Starting at upper left and going clockwise: 1) The Study (the murals depict Late-Gothic vines) , 2) The Kitchen (one of four in the castle), 3) The Upper Hall or Bed Chamber (decorated with 15th century murals - floral and figurative images), and 4) the Knight's Hall (this late medieval hall of 1520 was used for festivities and as a meeting hall by all three branches of the family. Check out the original heavy oak ceiling, theheraldic frieze, beautiful suits of armor, jester marks and the rose of silence).
My overall impression was that this was a smaller, privately owned castle. The rooms were not big or ostentatious, but comfortable, decorated, well-maintained and had that lived-in look. I think one of the reasons Burg Eltz survived so long without being attacked is that it is sort of off the beaten path. It's not visible from a major thoroughfare -- as opposed to, say, being a castle overlooking the Mosel or Rhine Rivers or a well travelled road.
Back outside, looking up.
After the tour, we checked out the Eltz Castle Treasury, a private collection with more than 500 exhibits from nine centuries. The exhibition focuses on artworks by German gold and silver smiths, particularly from Augsburg and Nuremberg. Other items on display include precious glass and porcelain, extravagant jewellery, ceremonial and real weapons as well as other curiosities from more than 800 years.
