- Fairytale setting: 14th-century Franconian castle perched above the town of Colmberg in northern Bavaria.
- Scenic routes: Located directly on both the Romantic Road and the Castle Road.
- Nearby gems: Close to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the Franconian capital Ansbach.
- Historic charm: Castle origins from 1318, with a cosy, atmospheric feel and friendly staff.
- Hearty dining: Traditional Franconian and Bavarian dishes served in a medieval-style restaurant.
- Check dates & prices here
This fairytale-like 14th century, Franconian-era, German Castle Hotel sits on a hill above the pretty town of the same name in northern Bavaria.
Burg Colmberg forms a picturesque part of two of the most scenic, and romantic, routes in Bavaria and Germany: the Castle Road and the Romantic Road.
It is also near the beautifully preserved medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the Franconian capital Ansbach.
Both the town of Colmberg and its castle are more than just stops on the way though, they are also tourist destinations in their own right, which makes a stay at this hotel an extra indulgence.
The castle dates back to 1318 and is a cosy, very atmospheric place with friendly, personable staff who go out of their way to make you feel at home.
Their restaurant is a particular highlight too, it serves up hearty traditional Franconian and Bavarian food in a pleasingly medieval ambience.
The Rooms:
They have a great range of eclectically styled rooms, none of which are terribly spacious but this is in touch with the cosy ambience of the hotel in general.
For the most part, the hotel rooms are original castle rooms with historical touches on display: sturdy old walls, medieval-style windows, wooden beams, etc.
They do mix it up with modern hotel room styling in terms of some furniture and fabric choices and with modern conveniences.
All of the rooms are doubles, of various sizes, most have gorgeous countryside views, and those that don’t still look out on the romantic old courtyard.
The pick of the bunch is probably either the spacious, elegant Baroque style Honeymoon Room, the Lord Room with its lovely old handmade wooden bed, or the large Prince Room which has a separate lounge area.
In general, though you’ll find any room choice good value, and the entire hotel experience is bound to please.
Prices:
Check out all the details – prices, reviews, and more photos – on the booking page here.
Facilities & Things to Do:
Around the labyrinth-like building, there are interesting little quirks, nooks and crannies, and comfortable, cosy seating places.
A long leisurely meal at the restaurant is a good way to feel like old Franconian Royalty.
There is a choice of three dining areas, all of them rustic and traditional which compliments the interesting food on offer.
It is very much old style Franconian and Bavarian fare; hearty and filling with specialties like venison (from the castle’s own estate deer outside), goose, wild boar, small game-salami sausages, and venison pรขtรฉ to name just a few.
The quality of the food is excellent as is the service and general ambience.
They have a wine cellar at the castle too and a great selection of wines to enjoy.
Outside the doors of the castle you can enjoy a romantic walk through the woods and around the castle estate, which has its own herd of fallow deer.
The countryside is gorgeous and the views from the castle and the grounds are really quite inspiring, whatever the weather.
The Location:
The village of Colmberg is, as mentioned above, on Germany and Bavaria’s famous Romantic Roadย &ย Castle Road tourist trails.
This is mainly of course due to the presence of the castle, your hotel, though, which rises fairytale-like above the village and finds itself much photographed by passing travellers.
Colmberg itself though is a lovely little place despite being, almost literally, overshadowed by the castle.
It is small of course and there isn’t a lot to see or do but it is very pleasant to stroll around with a handful of nice little cafes, restaurants, and shops.
And for nature lovers around the area, there are many lovely hiking and cycling routes through the forests and hills.
More notable towns in the immediate vicinity are the gorgeously medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the larger town of Ansbach.
Both of them are within 20 minutes drive of Colmberg Castle and, in fact, Colmberg serves as the main stopping point between the two for those touring the Burgenstraรe (Castle Road).
Bavaria’s state capital, Munich, is less than two hours to the south with Stuttgart being around an hour and a half, and Nuremberg a little less than an hour.
A Little History of Burg Colmberg:
Colmberg Castle is nearly 1000 years old and is forever associated with the Franks. From the 8th century onwards, this part of Bavaria was the territory of the Franconian kings.
It was mainly a wild area of forests and had a reputation for excellent hunting. Even Charlemagne, the most famous of all the kings,ย was said to regularly hunt aurochs here.
The first castle on the site of Colmberg was built in 1140 by the Hohenstaufen or Staufer Dynasty.
Following the loss of much of their territory in Italy (They also ruled the Kingdom of Sicily)ย the Staufer’s power quickly waned in all of their territory, and they lost the castle to the Altentrรผhdingen or Earls of Truhendingen.
Financial woes though forced the Earls to sell it on to Burgrave Friederich IV of Nuremberg in the late 14th century.
Both the castle and the estate would then remain in his family’s hands for 500 hundred years, putting their own indelible mark on the history of Colmberg.
Some Guest Reviews:
โFabulous presentation of a wonderful old building. Loved everything about our stay….โ
โThe location of this hotel is unbelievable. While out in the country, there’s suddenly a castle on top of the hill and that’s where you’ll be staying the night. As you wind you way up the hill you are on a narrower road and then through the gates and along the ramparts you go until you reach the final portal. You can picture knights of old coming up to visit their leader….โ
