Posted by BY HANNAH HORN
The Hornberg Castle (Burg Hornberg), a now-ruined castle, was built in the 11th century in Germany. It is located on a steep outcrop above the Neckar Valley, a 225-mile river that rests above the village of Neckarzimmern. Neckarzimmern sits between the towns of Bad Wimpfen and Mosbach. The Hornberg castle is known for being the largest and the eldest of the castles in its valley.
In 1517, Götz von Berlichingen (or also known as the Götz of the Iron Hand) was a German Imperial Knight, mercenary, and poet who bought the castle from the bishop of Speyr. It remained as his stronghold until his death in 1562. After Götz passed, Reinhard of Gemmingen bought the glorious castle from his grandson in 1612, where it now remains in the possession of the Gemmingen-Hornberg family for 12 generations.
Sadly, the Hornberg castle became uninhabited in 1738 and was left to decay alone. When 1825 rolled around, previous projects were finally complete and the palace was partially restored for use. Then as of 1968, it gallantly housed a historical museum for its travelers. A fun fact is that it has also housed students from an annual summer exchange program from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources.
While located in the heart of the lovely Black Forest, there are many restaurants with beautiful views of the valley and many say the scene is otherworldly as well as relaxing. This historical landmark also has exciting cellar tours, guest rooms, wine tasting opportunities and beautiful gardens to explore. With an enchantment of its past and present, you could easily fall in love with the castle’s romantics and never want to leave.
magical-europe.com 