Would you like to travel the Castle Road in a particularly sustainable and affordable way? Whether it's a day trip, weekend getaway, short break or extensive exploration tour - (almost) all member towns can be reached by public (local) transport. Some sections of the Castle Road are particularly suitable for a trip by public transport. Just take a look at our tour suggestions!

Please find an overview of the public transport connections to all member towns in our practical tips.

Please also note: As castles and palaces are often situated in elevated terrain, the last part of the ascent is sometimes only possible on foot.

The Baroque palace in Mannheim forms the impressive prelude to the first tour suggestion. This is followed by Schwetzingen with its marvellous palace gardens, before the world-famous palace awaits you in Heidelberg. Then it's off into the Neckar valley, characterised by defiant knights' castles and picturesque old town alleyways. A detour takes you to Mosbach with its half-timbered splendour, and back in the Neckar valley, castle after castle await you with exciting experiences, fantastic views and warm hospitality. The route then loops westwards towards Sinsheim, which has several attractions to offer. Bad Wimpfen with its imperial palace high above the river marks the end of this tour.

From the Staufer town of Bad Wimpfen, the second tour suggestion takes you to the Heilbronn region, Germany's largest red wine-growing area. Here you leave the Neckar valley and head towards Hohenlohe via the wine-growing town of Weinsberg. ‘In jeder Neschd a Schloss’ is what the people of Hohenlohe say about their homeland - the Castle Road towns of Öhringen and Waldenburg prove it. The destination of this tour is Schwäbisch Hall, which has a castle of a special kind in addition to its beautiful old town centre: the imposing former Großcomburg monastery.

‘1000 years of castle dreams’ stand at the beginning of the third suggested tour, which starts in Abenberg. The next stop in Roth scores points with the beautiful Ratibor Castle and its proximity to the Franconian Lake District, while the youngest of all Castle Road monuments, Faber-Castell Castle, can be found in Stein. At Cadolzburg Castle, the adventure museum provides an impressive encounter with the Middle Ages, before travelling to Nuremberg via the historic monastery town of Langenzenn. Here, the famous Imperial Castle and all the advantages of a metropolis of half a million people await you. Just a few kilometres away in Lauf an der Pegnitz is another imperial castle before the tour ends in Forchheim, which itself boasts an imperial palace.

Franconian Switzerland lives up to its name with bizarre rock formations - as if made for the numerous knights' castles that characterise the region as well as caves and beer. From Forchheim, the route leads through the Wiesenttal valley with its castle ruins to Pottenstein, whose castle is part of an entire ‘adventure mile’. Rabenstein Castle with its ‘natural paradise’, now a charming hotel and popular excursion destination, looks like something out of a picture book. This fourth tour suggestion ends in Waischenfeld with the tower known as the ‘Steinerner Beutel’.

The magnificent Seehof Castle in Memmelsdorf forms the start of the fifth tour suggestion. It lies at the gates of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bamberg with its baroque splendour, the next stop. Here, Altenburg Castle forms the link to the Castle Road before continuing into the Hassberge Nature Park with the ‘German Castle Corner’. Ebern, Pfarrweisach and Maroldsweisach are the stops here before the tour ends in Seßlach with its enchanting old town surrounded by an intact historic town wall.

Conquer the mighty fortifications of Upper Franconia with this tour suggestion! Starting from Seßlach, you first head to the Veste Heldburg with the German Castle Museum. The next stop, Coburg, offers not only the famous fortress but also several castles. The Rosenberg fortress, which was never destroyed, towers over the Lucas Cranach town of Kronach, while the mighty Plassenburg castle in Kulmbach is home to four interesting museums. The crowning glory is the ‘baroque universe’ of Bayreuth with its palaces, the Hermitage Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Margravial Opera House.