Lichtenstein Castle (Schloss Lichtenstein) in Lichtenstein, Germany is a must see if your traveling in the area! This picturesque castle is amazing to see perched on the edge of the cliff over looking the village below. It’s very quaint & charming. This is an easy add on to a drive to or from the Garmsich area.
I was so excited to get to cross this castle off my list on the way to Garmish recently and hopefully you’ll get the chance to see it as well. I think one of the unexpected perks was that it kept us off some of the larger autobahns so we didn’t hit any traffic or get stuck in a stau either!
There is a fairly large parking lot, the parking fee is €2/day, and there is a guy you pay as you enter the lot. We arrived at 1 pm on a Sunday and there were lots of spots open. When we left around 2:30 pm both the upper and lower lot were getting really full. Right off the parking area is the restrooms (they are free) and a small restaurant. You can also buy some food/drinks from the window area as well instead of going inside the restaurant, things like brats, coffee, soft drinks, etc.
We decided to try out the restaurant and it was an interesting experience. We walked in and the place was small and packed. The waitress set us at the end of a older German couple’s table, while this is normal in Europe still a bit awkward for Americans. It only got better when they learned we spoke English and demanded that we listed to them tell us how the like Obama, and Hillary, and so on. While it was hilarious it was the longest lunch our lives for my friend and I. They kept saying random stuff and it was quite awkward. The food was good but the menu as in German only. I used my Google Translate app to figure out what kind of schnitzel they had as I was familiar with that word and it said ‘Breaded pork with messy business’ I’m not sure what messy pork is but it was good, LOL!! Lunch took us about an hour.
We finally made it out of the restaurant and headed up to the castle. It’s about a 2-3 min walk from the parking area, and does have a bit of an incline but it’s not too bad. When you enter the castle the Casse office is on the right to purchase your tickets. It’s €2/adults & €1/kids to enter the courtyard area to walk around and take photos, this is where you’ll get the amazing ‘postcard’ view of the castle. You can also do a tour for €7/adult & €3,50 kids but they are in German, they do have an English info card that you can use for a €1 deposit. We decided to skip the tour since the next one wasn’t starting for 25 mins and we needed to get moving onto the next location before it would’ve been over. I will say it was absolutely worth the €2 to visit the courtyard area!
iphone pic
We spent maybe around 30 mins in this area walking around and talking photos. It’s not a super large area but the overview area is fantastic.It was a bit cloudy/foggy so we didn’t have the best view of the village below but I really was there for the view of the castle itself.
There are a few other buildings on site as well.
Entrance area.
Loved the ivy growing on the walls, I bet it looks amazing when it’s green!
I think this is one of the castles here that often gets over looked because it is a bit off the beaten path but it’s worth the short detour to check it out!
Know Before You Go
What: Lichtenstein Castle – Lichtenstein, Germany
How To Get There: It’s about 3 hours 40 mins from Spangdahlem, and 2 hours 45 mins from Ramstein. Also 2 hours 50 mins from the Garmsich area. GPS addy: Lichtenstein Castle, 72805 Lichtenstein, Germany
Parking: Parking is €2 for the day, and the lot is fairly big, we arrived at 1 pm on a Sunday and there were plenty of spots, it was getting a bit packed by 2:30 pm though.
Cost: €2 adults, €1 kids to enter the courtyard. €7/adults, €3,50/kids for guided tour but it is in German, they do have an English sheet you can use for €1 deposit. You can arrange and English tour by reserving ahead of time if you know when you’ll be arriving.
Traveling with little kids: You can use strollers to get up to the castle and in the courtyard, they are probably not allowed on the guided tour.
How long: Plan on at least 30 mins to 1 hour, more if you want to eat there or if you want to do the guided tour.
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