Castles
Secret Castles Beyond The Guidebooks
Burg Eltz has been owned by the same family — the Eltz family — for 33 generations since the 12th century. It survived the Thirty Years' War, the French wars of Louis XIV, and the entire 20th century without being captured or demolished. It is reachable only on foot: park at Müden or Wierschem and walk in via the forest. The castle is invisible from the road until the final hairpin, when it appears all at once, balanced on a rocky outcrop above a forested gorge.
These eight castles are not the ones the cruise ships visit. They require a short walk, a small ferry, or a regional train. In return: empty courtyards, original furnishings, and a custodian who actually answers questions.
Each entry: how to get there, what's inside, and the one fact most guidebooks omit.
Late afternoon light, looking east. Photo by our regional correspondent.
Why This Place Matters
Burg Eltz, Germany — privately owned by the Eltz family since 1157, never destroyed, never abandoned. Open April to October.
Predjama Castle, Slovenia — built into the mouth of a karst cave in the Postojna region; the 16th-century walls block off natural cave passages that locals have used as escape routes for centuries.
Dunnottar Castle, Scotland — clifftop ruin on a 50 m sea stack south of Stonehaven, where the Honours of Scotland (the crown jewels) were hidden from Cromwell in 1652.
A Short History
Hohenzollern Castle (Baden-Württemberg) — ancestral seat of the Prussian royal family; the current structure is a 1850s neo-Gothic fantasy built by Friedrich Wilhelm IV on the original 11th-century foundations. The crown jewels of Prussia are still kept here in a vault.
Predjama is built into the mouth of a 13 km cave network. The most famous occupant was Erazem Lueger, a 15th-century robber baron who held out against an imperial siege for 1 year and 1 day by using the secret cave passages to bring in fresh provisions — until a servant betrayed him and an Austrian cannonball hit him while he was on the toilet.
Château de Peyrepertuse, France — Cathar 'Five Sons of Carcassonne' castle, perched 800 m up a knife-edge limestone ridge in the Corbières mountains. Surrendered to French royal forces in 1240 after the Cathar wars.
What You Will Actually See
Burg Eltz, Germany — interior tour (45 min, German with English guide on request); the treasury holds 500 pieces of medieval gold and silver in a vault below the kitchen.
Predjama Castle, Slovenia — combine with Postojna Cave (4 km away); the secret tunnel through the cave is open with a separate ticket May–September.
Dunnottar Castle, Scotland — 1.5 km clifftop walk from the Stonehaven car park; cliff access only at low tide.
Hohenzollern, Germany — the Bismarck Tower and Margrave's Chapel; on clear days you can see the Black Forest from the battlements.
Château de Peyrepertuse, France — 1-hour uphill hike from the village of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse; the Saint-Jordi chapel at the eastern end has surviving 12th-century frescoes.
Bran Castle, Romania — the marketed 'Dracula's Castle' is touristy, but the actual Vlad III holding was Poenari Citadel — 1,480 steps up, mostly empty, and the more honest pilgrimage.
Egeskov Slot, Denmark — moated Renaissance castle on Funen, built on oak piles driven into a lake bed (the name means 'oak forest').
Doune Castle, Scotland — 14th-century Stewart fortress used as Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail; Terry Jones recorded the audio guide before his death.
The kind of detail you only notice on the second visit.
Interesting Facts
A few quick notes on secret castles beyond the guidebooks before the section below.
These are the details our correspondents most often get asked about by readers planning a trip.
Practical Information
Burg Eltz — open April to early November, €14, parking €2 at Antoniuskapelle car park. The Eltz family still lives in part of the castle (closed to visitors).
Predjama — combine ticket with Postojna Cave (€38), valid for 2 consecutive days.
Dunnottar — closes 5 pm in winter, last entry 4 pm. The cliff path is closed in 40+ mph winds.
Doune Castle — audio guide narrated by Terry Jones is included; bring a coconut.
Interesting Facts
- Burg Eltz has been owned continuously by the same family for over 850 years; the current head of the family, Count Karl Graf zu Eltz-Kempenich, still lives in one wing.
- Predjama Castle sits at the entrance to a 13 km cave system; the upper levels include a secret tunnel that allowed the robber baron Erazem Lueger to withstand a year-long siege in the 1480s.
- Dunnottar Castle held the Honours of Scotland (the Scottish crown jewels) against Cromwell's siege of 1651–52, after which the regalia were smuggled out hidden in seaweed and buried under Kinneff Church for 9 years.
- Château de Peyrepertuse stands at 800 m elevation along a 300 m limestone ridge; the upper Saint-Jordi castle within it was added in 1242 specifically because the lower section was already considered too easy to attack.
- Doune Castle's exterior was used for the keep of Winterfell in the Game of Thrones pilot episode before filming moved permanently to Northern Ireland.
Most travellers walk straight past this corner. Stop and look up.
How To Visit
Cologne → Burg Eltz: train to Moselkern (1h30), 45-min forest walk to the castle (signed).
Ljubljana → Predjama: 1-hour bus to Postojna, 4 km taxi to Predjama (~€10).
Aberdeen → Dunnottar: train 25 min to Stonehaven, 25-min walk south along the cliff path.
Stuttgart → Hohenzollern: 50-min train to Hechingen, shuttle bus to the castle base, funicular or 20-min walk up.
Final Thoughts
Real castles are not the ones with gift shops. They are the ones with a custodian eating a sandwich in the gatehouse and a chimney that still smokes in winter.
Wear shoes that grip wet stone. Bring a flashlight for Predjama's natural-cave tour.
If you can only do one: Burg Eltz on a Tuesday morning in May. The mist hasn't lifted, the family still has lights on in the residential tower, and you'll have the courtyard to yourself for 20 minutes.
If you read this article and noticed something we got wrong, please write to us. Reader corrections shape what we publish next.
Wren Ashby
Regional correspondent for WIGO Trips. Writes about overlooked places and quiet histories.
