Follow Bavaria’s Castle Road

While Germany’s best-known castle, Neuschwanstein, lies in southern Bavaria, the northern part of the state of Franconia features more than 60 castles family travelers can visit while in Germany. These castles comprise part of Castle Road or Burgenstrasse, which groups them into easy-to-follow tour routes.

As kids tour these castles, climb towers and explore halls and passages, they’ll be immersed in a world of medieval knights, princes and kings. Nothing could appeal more to a kid’s imagination.

The highlight of Franconia is Nuremburg, crowned by the mighty 12^th-century Kaiserburg, once the residence for the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Not far away, near Fürth, Cadolzburg Castle is one of the best-preserved in Germany, safely enclosed in walls guarded by towers with onion-shaped and pointed domes. Exhibits inside help kids bridge the gap between the Middle Ages and the 21^st century with touchscreens, games and hands-on experiences.

Another of Germany’s best-preserved medieval fortresses is Veste Coburg in Upper Franconia, ancestral home to Prince Albert, husband of England’s Queen Victoria. This is one of the largest castle complexes in Germany.

The longest castle in the world, measuring 3,280 feet in length, is Burghausen Castle, standing along a ridge overlooking Inn River, the border between Austria and Germany, located east of Munich. Like nearby Neuschwanstein, this castle was once the family home of the Wittelsbach family, kings of Bavaria. Although these two landmark castles are not along Franconia’s Burgenstrasse, they are well worth adding to your itinerary if your family’s travels take you to Munich, Bavaria’s capital.