Burg Eltz Castle

Gary,

No, Burg Eltz is not visible from the Mosel as it's a short distance inland and located in a valley, surrounded by lots of trees.

If you have a car, there is a great vantage point overlooking the castle from the edge of the parking area on the ridge to the east. To get there, follow the directions in Rick's Germany book, but pay attention to the warning about misleading road signs from a private outfit. I did not. Halfway up the hill, I fell for the private outfit's sign and had to back track a ways. But the view from above the castle was worth the trouble.

True, the castle is not visible from anywhere because unlike most castles it's not on the hill but in the valley so once you get on the ridge you can see it down. It's quite imposing but somehow it does not seem like real castle. Little bit like Neuschwanstein but not that much.

Hi Gary,

No, you won't see it from the Mosel. It is well worth going to see though. We still say it's the best castle we've ever seen, plus it's setting adds to the entire experience. Nothing like Neuschwanstein, as it's a real medieval castle and it's just the way it has looked for the last 800 plus years.

Paul

Starting in May, on Saturdays and Sundays, there are several buses a day from Treis-Karden Bahnhof and Hatzenport Bahnhof, both on the rail line between Cochem and Koblenz. They stop a few hundred yards above Burg Eltz, on the road from Wierschem. The only other castle in the area that was never destroyed is the Marksburg, above Braubach, on the right bank of the Rhein, a little up river from Koblenz. Unlike Burg Eltz, the Marksburg is no longer lived in, but has been preserved by the German Castle Society as it was hundreds of years ago. You can see it from the town of Braubach, from the train across the river, or from the K-D boat, which stops at Braubach.

The others on this thread have answered your question perfectly.

For me the relatively easy hike to the castle from Moselkern was more than half of what made it a great visit. The castle itself is nice but the tour is fairly brief. The trail, along a stream through light forest, is easy to follow and doesn't go up steeply until you reach the stairs to the castle gate. The hardest part was finding the trail head in Moselkern but the locals steered me in the right direction.

Thanks for the answers from all. Gives me a little more insight.
Gary W