After visiting the Hitscherhof Pumpkin Festival we wanted to check out Burg Trifels since it was only 40 minutes away. Burg Trifels has some history which makes it worth visiting. It’s said that Richard the Lionhart was captured and held captive here from 1193-1194. It is also said that the treasure room once held the Holy Grail. It is also the only one left of the 3 that sat upon the three hills above the city.
When your driving there you may feel like your driving in the middle of no where! The signs are few & far between, keep following Trifelstrasse and you’ll run into the parking area and see a sign. Parking is €1,50 to park but you can use the parking ticket towards the purchase of a piece of cake in the restaurant. There is minimal parking in the parking area, but we were able to find a spot. Also we went on a Sunday which was probably more crowded, we generally try to sightsee on Saturday to minimize the crowds.
Across from the parking lot is a restaurant where you can use the parking ticket for cake. There are also bathrooms here and they have a plate out for donations to use the restroom. Below the restaurant is a vendor who sells some different wines and also had grapes from a local vineyard.
Next to the trail up is also a snack shack. We stopped here on the way down and got ice cream and fries. Fries were €2,50, ice cream was €2, and drinks were €2. You can also buy postcards here as well.
Make sure you bring water! There is no place to get water after the long hike up to the castle, luckily we had brought some with us but it went fast!
The hike up is a good 20 minutes and that is walking at a fast pace. It’s a steep uphill climb so be prepared. There are also lots of stairs in the castle and some uneven ground so plan ahead if you have people in your group who can’t walk much or have limited mobility. Mr. B’s gimpy knee wasn’t a fan of the hike up but he made it, LOL!
There is a scenic view area and some binoculars you can use for €0.50, we used this area to catch our breath and snap a few photos.
When you see the arch you know you’ve almost made it.
Just past the arch is an area where you can sit across from this landmark, we caught our breath and readied for the climb throughout the castle.
At the entrance you’ll see the Kasse office to get your tickets. Cost is €3 adults, €1,50 for kids up to 14, and they also have family passes. We paid €6 for the 2 adults and up to 4 kids family pass. You can also buy a brochure in English for €2,50 if you so desire, we did not get one. It’s a self-guided tour.
Then you head up the stairs to the burg and here is where our adventure got a little more adventurous. As we were hiking up we got hot and my friend & I had taken off our sweaters and tied them on our purses. It was at this point my friend realizes that she’s missing her green sweater and has to go BACK down the stairs & through the entrance to look for it. Mr. B stays with the kids and I walk down with her. As we are walking down we see an older German lady walking up carrying a green sweater, my friend says ‘oh thank you so much!’ ‘you found my sweater!’ and tries to grab the sweater from the lady. She looks at my friend like she’s a moron and pulls her sweater back, it was NOT my friend’s sweater but the German lady’s! My friend realizes her error and apologies and continues down to search for hers, I get a good chuckle out of this. Then as I’m nearing the last step I roll my ankle, fall down sideways, and smack my camera on the stone wall! Of course it was witnessed by a group of tourists who I hear exclaim ‘OH, OH’ as my friend runs over to assist me up. Nothing was hurt but a little bruised pride and thankfully my lens filter buffered the impact of the stone wall. Traveling with us can be quite entertaining 😉
Finally my friend finds HER sweater and we continue on our tour of the burg. You can walk out onto the ruins part and see some amazing views of the surrounding area, and understand why this castle was never overtaken. The view above is the path up to the castle after going under the arch.
You can also see the ruins of the other 2 burgs as well. There are scenic telescopes you can use for €0.50 so bring change if you’d like to use them.
These suits of armor greet you as you walk up the stairs.
From the walkway (which is VERY uneven ground) you can get a good view of the burg, we took selfies here which you may have seen on Instagram (LINK).
You can also barley see the restaurant area below where we hiked up from. Going down was much easier!
The stairs up to the burg entrance are steep and a bit narrow. You can see models of Burg Trifles before it was destroyed by lightning and again after the partial reconstruction.
Lots of staircase to explore. There is not a whole lot of rooms to see but we still enjoyed checking it out.
The treasury room held some impressive pieces that you can admire.
Kinda makes you wonder how they lit all those candles huh?!
A view from one of the burg windows.
You can also walk out over the arch where you entered and view the scenery as well.
This is the steep path that leads you up to underneath the arch.
I loved the huge tree in the walkway.
There is a bathroom at the burg, we didn’t use it so I’m not sure if there is a fee or not, but it’s always a good idea to have some change on hand just in case.
It was a great little visit for a day trip adventure and for the history tied to it. It’s also a great add-to sight to see if your visiting the Hitscherhof Pumpkin Festival, was about 40 minutes from the festival.
Have you visited Burg Trifles?
Know Before You Go:
What: Burg Trifels in Annweiler am Trifels, Germany.
How To Get There: It’s about 2 hours from Spangdahlem, 1 hour from Ramstein. GPS address: 76829 Annweiler am Trifels, Trifelstrasse, say on Trifelstrasse until you run into the parking lot, yes it will feel like your lost 😉
Parking: €1,50 to park but you can use the parking ticket towards the purchase of a piece of cake in the restaurant. There is minimal parking in the parking area, but we were able to find a spot. The castle is a good 20 minute hike uphill from the parking lot.
Cost: €6 adults, €1,50 for kids up to 14, and they also have family passes. We paid €6 for the 2 adults and up to 4 kids family pass.
Dogs: Are not allowed in the castle.
Traveling with little kids: Strollers are not allowed in the castle so plan on wearing babies in a sling/carrier. We did see some parked at the entrance if you need to use it for the 20 min walk up & down.
How long: Plan on at least 1 hour.
Where to find info: Above links, AWAG
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