Burg Guttenberg, vom Neckar aus gesehen
Die Burg im Frühjahr 2008 © Konrad Plank
Karl von Christoph Freiherr Roeder von Diersburg - Staatl. Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Der Bergfried, von dem aus man alles überblickt
Burg Guttenberg über Neckarmühlbach
Ein Wehrturm
Ein Allianzwappen des Hauses
Das Wappen der Familie von Gemmingen-Guttenberg
Eingebettet in die Natur
Ausgang aus dem inneren Burghof
Eingang in den inneren Burghof
Die eindrucksvolle Schildmauer
Der Bergfried von der Greifenwarte aus gesehen
Altes Kanonenrohr
Die wehrhafte Burg - seit Gründung nie erobert
Zu jeder Tages- und Jahreszeit einen Besuch wert
Burg Guttenberg über Rapsfeldern
Winterlicher Blick auf die Burg
Sommerlicher Blick auf die Burg
Burgfest: Frhr. Bernolph von Guttenberg eröffnet das Burgfest
Burgfest: Großer Andrang bei den Aufführungen
Burgfest: Nachwuchs-Armbrustschütze: Knappe Julius
Burgfest: Ritterspiele für kleine Ritter
Burgfest: Allerlei wundersame Gestalten bevölkern das Burgfest
Burgfest: Überall auf dem Gelände: Knechte und Kaufleute
Burgfest: Mittelalterliche Handwerkskunst
Burgfest: Blumenmädchen
Burgfest: Viele Musikanten sind zu Gast
Burgfest: Immer wieder locken kleine Darbietungen Zuschauer an
Burgfest: Erwartet sie den Minnesänger?
Burgfest: Die Wollspinnerei
Burgfest: Gaukler verbreiten allerlei Kurzweil
Burgfest: Aufgemerkt! Das Fest beginnt.
Burgfest: Junge Ritter können allerlei Spielzeug kaufen
Burgfest: Edelfrau Uta umgeben von Kavalieren
Burgfest: Zur Arbeit gehört auch die Musik
Burgfest: Jonglage
Burgfest: Besonders die Kleinen haben einen Heidenspaß
Of Kings and Castles
Read: The German road less travelled from Frommer's Travel Guide
By Robert Haru Fisher (Original text of frommers.com)
Celebrating its 51st birthday this year is the Burgenstrasse (Castle Road), an innovation brought to the public by lovers of medieval castles, who were convinced that the fortifications and scenery of southwestern Germany were as impressive as the better-known counterparts of the country's Romantic Road, farther to the east and north. The route has been extended, from Mannheim on the west to Prague in the east, with the most important stops -- Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Nuremberg, Bayreuth and Karlovy Vary -- lying in between. All in all, it's about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of scenic touring, and, except for the peak months of July and August, far less crowded than the more popular Romantic Road.
There are altogether more than 70 castles and similar stately homes on the road that passes, along the Neckar River Valley in and around charming towns and villages, most with an impressive fortification perched above. One of the best reasons for driving the Castle Road is the repeating opportunity to stay in remarkably comfortable castle hotels overnight, or, if pressed for time, to visit them for lunch or dinner.
An early American visitor to the Castle Road was Mark Twain, who hiked from Heidelberg to Heilbronn, stopping off at several towns, including Bad Wimpfen, along the way. He later wrote of having a meal on "a raft that is gliding down the winding Neckar past green meadows and wooded hills, and slumbering villages, and craggy heights graced with crumbling towers and battlements." (The locals assure me that although Twain did write about a raft trip down the Neckar, the voyage "never happened".)
One caveat about the Castle Road, entrancing as it is: there were no signs in English on any exhibit in any castle I visited, whether there was a museum or not, so you'll have to rely on your guide for explanations most of the time. Only Guttenberg Castle had an English-language booklet about its history. In fact, the official site (www.german-castles-road.com) for the route is mostly in German, with only a few pages translated into English.