Note: This is not a paid endorsement.
If you’ve never stayed in a castle, it can sound extravagant. However, many castles are also hotels, and several are surprisingly affordable. The revenue is a great way to help ensure the upkeep of the castle, and there are quite a few of them along Germany’s Rhine River. My husband has always wanted to stay at one of these castles so that is exactly what we did to celebrate his birthday.
We chose the Schönburg castle because the rooms look like what we expect rooms in a castle to look like. Many of the castles I researched were beautiful and modern; others looked old, but also too austere. This one was a perfect blend of medieval architecture with well-appointed rooms filled with smooth woods, beautiful cloth, bay windows with draw curtains, canopy beds, nooks, and modern conveniences. Our opinion was that, if we were going to stay at a castle, we wanted to feel like we were walking back in time, but to the royal apartments and not the dungeon! But that is our preference, perhaps it isn’t yours. Most of the time, when we travel, our lodgings are just to give us access to the local sites, so we choose something modest in price, but in this case, the hotel WAS the destination. Esli discovered at least four different places that he determined were “my favorite spot in the castle!”
Each guest room in Schönburg Castle is unique, as are their prices – the more extravagant, the more expensive. The public rooms are primarily devoted to eating, but each one is different, including one very cozy bell-shaped room with one table, and pictures as if they came from the Bateaux tapestry on the walls. This room adjoins the central library with fireplace and rows of books alternating with bits of mediaeval arms and armor lining the walls.
One option when booking a room is to include a four-course dinner in the dining room (breakfast is included for all rooms). If you do not choose this option, you can still make a dinner reservation in their restaurant and order from the menu. When I booked our room, I sent a special request for a birthday surprise for my husband. For a minimal fee he was given a wrapped book of the history of the castle. He also received a special banner on our table and a small bundt cake.
Parking is free and you can choose to leave your bags in your car and a castle employee will retrieve your bags and leave them in your room.
The highlight of the trip is the castle grounds. To maximize that experience, it is best to arrive early, particularly in the fall or winter when evening sunlight disappears quickly. Once you’ve gotten your bags checked in, take advantage of, first, the high curtain wall remaining to the rear of the castle, now covered with vines and ivy, which offers a fantastic view of the interior of the castle, or the valley to the rear of it. Then, go get a key to the castle grounds, and descend down to the bottom of the castle. Plan to spend several hours exploring the grounds. Among the hidden treasures are a pond, a grotto, several gazebos and glass-enclosed structures, a Boules court, dart boards, an outdoor pool table, the family’s private chapel and graveyard, and the most amazing tree house (complete with a library), trails into the wooded hillsides, and of course beautiful views of the Rhine River. There are many stairs on the grounds, therefore I do not recommend exploring the gated grounds for our friends with limited mobility. The entirety of the grounds varies between several elevations, and you will spend some time climbing steps or ascending paths. While it is well-worth it, it is a light-to-moderate physical effort.
Once the sun sets, enjoy time exploring the castle itself. There are many nooks and crannies to find, both inside and out. You can climb back up on the castle wall, rest at one of several courtyards or read a book in front of the fireplace. After you’ve had your fill of exploration, you can enjoy the amenities in your room, perhaps a private terrace, a jetted tub or even a sauna, depending on the room you reserved.
The next morning is a good time to hit the castle’s museum, which sits in one of the castle’s earliest towers. If you have a little time, it is a fun diversion. Not only can you learn a bit about the castle as you climb the floors, but you can also play a video game using their model catapult or shoot kid-friendly crossbows at targets consisting of enemy lords and ladies. The tower is old enough that it has more rare staircases running straight within the walls which pre-date the far more common spiral staircases found in most castles. With enough energy, you can continue to climb to the top of the tower for a gorgeous view of the Rhine River. (Even my husband was moved to grab me and we briefly waltzed on the metal deck in a light drizzle.) The museum’s tower has many steps, most of which are narrow, so all but the ground level is not friendly to those with limited mobility. The museum is free to those who have a room at the castle, and of course the exit is through their great gift shop.
If you didn’t get your fill of the grounds, a good option is to go back outside after checkout; they will continue to grant you access to the grounds for as long as you stay.
If you choose to stay at Schönburg Castle on the Rhine River, I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.
For more information, contact the castle directly.
https://www.hotel-schoenburg.com/en
Tel: +49 (0)6744 93930
Auf Schönburg
D-55430 Oberwesel am Rhein
