Harburg Castle

Harburg, Germany, Germany

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Harburg Castle in Harburg, Germany, is a vast and remarkably preserved medieval fortress from the 11th-12th centuries, originally built by the Hohenstaufen dynasty as an imperial stronghold overlooking the Wörnitz River valley to control key trade routes.

First documented in 1150, it passed through noble hands including the Habsburgs and Counts of Oettingen, who expanded it with Baroque and Renaissance elements like multiple courtyards, a towering 70-meter keep, chapel, and defensive walls before it became the seat of the Princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein.

Owned by their cultural foundation since 2000, the castle complex—among Germany's largest—is open seasonally for guided tours, knight shows, and exhibits blending history with scenic Romantic Road views.