Burg Eltz

Take a look at the pictures of the path on Ben's Bauernhof. I don't think that looks suitable for a stroller. The Marksburg, in Braubach, is also an intact castle. The path to it is also dirt, but the road around it is paved, and if you go down to the K-D dock when the boat comes in, it is met by a trolley.

Hi Jan, When are you going? I just read a trip report from someone who was there recently and wrote this in reference to Burg Eltz: "imagine my surprise then, when I rounded a certain bend and saw the first glimpse of the castle, COMPLETELY covered in white netting material and scaffolding. Thought I'd pass this on in case it matters to you. The interior is still fantastic to see. Paul

We did not take the path up, we drove up but we met people who had done the path up and most of them were whipped just getting themselves up to the top muchless with a large stroller. Not a good idea.

We just returned from Germany last week and we went to Burg Eltz. We did not hike in, we drove. The path did not look suitable for a stroller to me. We walked down to the castle and I must say, that it is a very steep downhill walk. We took the shuttle back up and there is nowhere to put a stroller in the shuttle van. Also, you cannot take a stroller inside the castle. There are quite a few small, winding stairways that you go up and down. No way to take a stroller. The outside of the castle is partly hidden behind white sheeting and scaffolding, but it was still fabulous to see. And the inside is definitely worth it!

Even walking on the paved road to and from the parking lot, I think you would have trouble with a stroller. The road takes a VERY steep downhill turn as it approaches the castle. There is a shuttle van, but I don't think a stroller would fit inside.

The path is wonderful and easy unless you are unfit. But there are some stairs cut in so a stroller would be a poor choice. Let the most ambitious of you walk while the other takes the baby and rides.

Jan, As the others have mentioned, the trail is not difficult but it's not really "suited" for Strollers. I haven't walked the entire trail (used a Taxi from the train station instead), but walked some distance along the trail from Burg Eltz when I was there last year. It's narrow in some parts, rocky in some parts, and has the usual characteristics of a trail through the woods. At the Burg Eltz end, there's quite a climb from the valley floor up to the Castle (involving some stairs as I recall). Given the ages of the children, I'd consider using a Taxi or rental car for travel to the Castle. At the end of a one-hour hike, I'm sure the 2 & 3-year old will not be in much of a mood to tour the Castle and then repeat the hike back to the train! If you need information on the Taxi, post another reply. As someone else mentioned, if you arrive by road it's a VERY steep hike down to the Castle (which is of course even worse on the uphill direction on a hot day). The €1 (or whatever the current charge is) for the Shuttle is well worth it, IMHO). Happy travels!

You can drive to the parking area just above the castle, and take the shuttle bus down for 1 euro each (each way). But you will probably not want to take the stroller in any event. Touring the castle interior involves lots of stair cases and narrow passageways. don't know the ages of your grandkids, but you might have to carry them the entire time, and they might get bored after a couple minutes (unless they are older).

Is it a baby jogger??? I think you would be fine, its not very long and very flat. There arent many stairs at all. Go for it I say.

If you drive to the parking lot above the castle, there is a nice walking path through the woods that starts near little wooden hutte where they collect parking fees. It's not marked but you can ask the gentleman. It slopes gently downhill and would be OK for a jogging stroller. I think it's a much nicer approach to the castle than the paved very steep road. You can then decide whether to walk it back uphill or spring for the van ride out (if they will accommodate your stroller.)

We enjoyed our hike up to the castle but I agree with the others in not attempting it with a stroller.

Hi Jan, You have already gotten several replies to you question but here is my take on it: We were at Burg Eltz 2 weeks ago. We hiked from Moselkern. There is just one path from there. It is mostly a dirt path and goes up and down over rocks and tree roots and hugs the edge of a steep drop-off with no guard rail in several spots. Not difficult, but you would not be able to use a stroller and it probably would be tricky with the 2 and 3 year old. Taking a taxi or driving to the parking lot, as some have said, is your best bet. The problem I see, unless you have 1 adult per child, is the number of stairs once you are in the castle. You can only see the inside by a tour and they constantly remind you not to touch or sit on anything. Does not sound like a great place for tots. Have you considered some of the less complicated castles to tour on the Rhine? Burg Rheinfels would be doable and you can take the little shuttle train from St. Goar, which would be fun for the small ones.

I loved taking guests to Burg Eltz, but agree that it's not really child-friendly. The children might enjoy Burg Maus on the Rhine with its birds of prey demo. It's all in German, but the man who handles the birds obviously likes kids and makes a point to let them each touch the wonderful huge owl. It takes about 20-25 min to hike up, but the path is smooth enough for a stroller. Great view over the Rhine watching the falcons.

NO WAY! Are these people crazy to encourage you?? The path is narrow, up and over rocky spots, muddy areas, and watch out for the tree roots! There are some -offs for little feet to slip on. Some areas are single file. It is a trek and we walked it on a beautiful sunny day. Yes, the view at the end of the path up to the castle is awesome, but there are plenty of other views that will suffice. My opinion, do not take the wooded path with a stroller or young children. You'll end up carrying the kids even if you walk.

Jan, As this Thread is about three months old, I assume your trip to Europe has now ended? I'd be interested to know which method you decided to use in travelling to Burg Eltz?