Burg Eltz Castle

Burg Eltz Castle is located in Münstermaifeld, Germany.  This medieval castle sits high upon a rocky crag, towers over the Moselle River, and is surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River.  The castle was built along an important medieval trade route, which allowed the nobles to protect the route and collect taxes and tithes from passing merchants.  Thirty-three generations of the Rübenach and Rodendorf families have lived in the castle since the 12^th century, and this continues today, as Dr. Karl Graf currently owns the castle.  The castle is divided into many sections, which allowed different branches of the families to make Eltz Castle their home.  The Romanesque keep is the oldest part of the castle and dates to 1157.  The castle was not built for defense, but as a grand rural home for German nobles.  In essence, it’s three castles in one, where each family built different sections during various architectural periods.  This melding of architecture makes it a hodgepodge of Medieval, Late Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque.  It has the fairytale appearance that I love.  Eltz Castle is open to the public.