Ever watch House Hunters International and think to yourself “Only four bedrooms? What a shack!” or “Where are all of the courtyard houses?” If so, you may have aspirations of marrying into royalty, or you may just be destined to call Germany your home.
If you’re into turrets and towers, Germany has homes that dreams are made of on practically every hilltop. And we’re not talking phony fibreglass sidings here – these are real-life historic German castles that would blow away any other #housegoals Pinterest page out there.
Neuschwanstein
This is pretty much the castle of all castles. Is that Hogwarts, you say? No, this one is legit, and it’s one of Germany’s top tourist attractions for obvious reasons. Neuschwanstein is straight out of a fairytale, and was the inspiration behind Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland.
What else could you ask for but 65,000 square feet of royal seclusion, perched on a hill, and a drop dead gorgeous view of Bavaria on all sides with a limestone exterior? Maybe a dressing room bathed in purple silk, and your very own grotto and fountains? We’re sold.
Sure, it wasn’t completed to its intended level of opulence, but we’d prefer the option to add our own personal touches to the decor, wouldn’t you?
Ehrenfels Castle
It was used historically as a hiding place, and even though it’s a little run down, it’s a perfect fixer-upper for wine-lovers. Ehrenfels is surrounded by vineyards and even has its own variety of grape named after it. It’s also nestled alone the River Rhine and surrounded by scenic hiking trails. Wishlist achieved.
Hohenzollern Castle
Like Neuschwanstein, Hohenzollern is nothing short of a royal fairy tale fortress. It’s perched atop a lush mountain, has several gorgeous towers and is surrounded by exquisite grounds. Plus, it currently houses a restaurant with amazing German food – who’s gonna turn down a daily pretzel and bratwurst?
Moritzburg Castle
Interested in your very own island? Well this one also comes with a 60-room castle, and tons of leather wallpaper. We bet that you didn’t even know you wanted leather wallpaper until now, did you? The hunting in the area is known to be superb as well if you’re looking for a new royal hobby.
Steinhöfel Castle
This one is very Downton-esque, don’t you agree? It’s in a forest with a lil’ lake right beside it for all of your leisure-boating needs. It’s also not too far from Berlin, so you can venture into town when you wanna mingle with city-folk.
Heidelberg Palace
If you don’t want to be too removed from the rest of the world, this option in Heidelberg is perfection. It’s built into the side of a hill, and overlooks the city centre below.
Wartburg Castle
There’s some great history in this one, and it actually helped to inspire the design of castle #1. It was built in a few stages which explains the 3 seemingly separate exteriors, but construction did start in 1067, so that’s totally understandable. We dig the eclectic look!
Hohenschwangau Castle
You know how some kids have treehouses that inspire their future desire for an epic crib? Well King Kudwig II had this castle as his childhood summer home, and it actually inspired him to build Neuschwanstein. #Lifegoals, right?
Schloss Johannisburg
It’s red, massive, right on the river, and has the world’s largest collection of cork architectural models. We think that ticks all of our wish-list boxes and more.
Schwerin Palace
That golden dome though? To. Die. For. We don’t even know what we would do with 5 wings and 653 rooms, but that’s a challenge we’re willing to accept.
Moyland Castle
A sculpture garden AND an herb garden? Moyland, you sure do know how to mix the regal with the practical… Plus, there’s a moat! Jackpot.
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Schloss Dyck
Schloss Dyck has a moat, a sunny yellow exterior and an exquisite English garden. What’s an English garden doing in Germany, you ask? Dyck doesn’t discriminate – there’s a bamboo garden as well.
Dresden Castle
Dresden has the best of both worlds for city lovers – a castle fit for a king, but situated right in the city centre. If this appeals to you for your future home, invest in a good gate, maybe some armed guards, and a security system. Dresden Castle also houses 5 museums, which seems like a bit much for a house, but may be perfect for history buffs.
Seehof Palace
It may have only been built as a summer home, but we would definitely call this beauty our home any day of the year… It has an adorable courtyard, an impressive collection of statues and a huuuge garden.
Mespelbrunn Castle
Last but not least, for fans of the swim-up bar, consider a swim-up castle! It’s pretty secluded and serene, in great shape, and that tall round tower is straight out of a fairytale.
Take note of what you like, and find a skilled architect ASAP – after all, castles take decades to build normally… Or, just get yourself to Germany.