Schloss Lichtenstein: How to Visit Württemberg’s Fairytale Castle

Last weekend we decided to check out one of the closer ‘attractions’, Schloss Lichstenstein. This castle is known for its striking view and is only 45 minutes from the Stuttgart area.

If you live near or in the Stuttgart area, I highly recommend adding Lichtenstein castle to your list. I loved going so much that we went back a few times, bringing friends with us and checking out other areas of interest nearby.

Getting There

The drive takes you to the Echaz Valley, a beautiful area in the German countryside. Going through rolling hills, stumbling upon quaint towns, and driving along the Neckar River all added to the magic of arriving at this castle. When I got to the town of Lichtenstein I could easily see the castle, perched up high on a cliffside. After another twenty minutes of weaving up and around, I made my way to the top to check it out.

Castle History

There has been a castle here since around 1200, but it was destroyed a few times (at least twice). The castle you see today was built in the mid 1800’s by Duke Wilhelm or Urach and today is still owned by the Dukes of Urach.

It is perhaps most famous for its fairytale ties. LKnown as the ‘Fairytale Castle’ or ‘Neuschwanstein’s Little Brother’, it was one of the locations where the Grimm fairytales were filmed.

Things To Do

There is a restaurant, a Biergarten, and plenty of fields to have a bbq or hang out at. Many people were having a picnic.

Ropes Course

There is a large, intricate ropes course that seems to go on forever in the tree tops. When we went, there were many kids getting ready to go when and some were already up in the trees. It looked like a fun way to spend an afternoon.

It was definitely very pretty and if you’re in the area it’s worth visiting especially if you have kids!

Food Options

There’s a more upscale restaurant, the Alte Forsthaus, as well as a casual biergarten. The restaurant wasn’t open when we went, so I’d recommend checking out their hours beforehand. The biergarten served typical German food such as brats, currywurst, pommes (fries), bretzel (pretzel), Maultaschen, etc.

Zip Line

These zip lines are surprisingly everywhere you look in Germany. I’ve seen these little zip lines in many parks and wooded areas.

Hiking

Around Schloss Lichtenstein are many hilly (some steep) hiking areas. The landscape around here is beautiful; rolling hills and red roofed towns dot the area.

I found this crawling along in the woods. Never have seen a slug this big before – so watch out when you’re out hiking around.