Positioned on a mountain crest in Baden-Württemberg, Schloss Lichtenstein is a 19th-century Gothic chivalric castle with a rich history. The original Lichtenstein castle, dating back to the 12th century, underwent numerous transformations due to wars and changes in ownership. Today, the remnants of the old castle lie just 500 meters away from the current structure.
Much like Schloss Neuschwanstein, Schloss Lichtenstein is a testament to romantic historicism in Germany, which intrigued me and became the primary reason for my visit. Despite its allure, the castle’s remote location made it a challenging destination to reach. It wasn’t until my birthday in 2022 that I finally had the opportunity to explore it.
To get there, we took Bus 7606 from Reutlingen to Honau, Lichtenstein (Württ). Honau, the town serving as the gateway to the castle, felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, it didn’t have any restaurants or cafes where we could stop by to warm up.
Navigating Our Way to the Castle:
There are different hiking paths to get there. The bus stop Honau, Lichtenstein (Württ) is next to a hotel called “Forellenhof Rössle”, and between them, there is a clearly tilted road, called “Ahornweg”, leading upwards to the mountain. We firstly chose that route, as it was the fastest one. At the place where the Ahornweg turns right, there is also a smaller path leading straight up to the mountain, and that is the path one should follow – it was also the one we took. In principle, it is the fastest way to the castle, but because it’s too steep and in Winter, snow covers the path, the deeper we went, the less we could see the trace of the path. It became really impossible for us to climb – we had to crawl, so we decided to take another route.
The other route takes an arc to the castle, making the trip less steep. However, we had the same problem as the other one: it became invisible as we walked deeper. I was afraid we might not make it up there, but Google Maps showed multiple paths, so we figured one of them should finally lead us there. We therefore chose to half follow Google’s directions and half the signs on the trees. 
We made an even bigger arc and found our way to the castle.Some narrow, slippery mountain roads were dangerous with snow, especially on the side of the path that was more like a steep cliff. I fell several times on the way: most likely because I wore chelsea boots and Ralph Lauren Peacoat that only belong to metro fashion. I was not dressed for hiking in winter at all. All other hikers we encountered showed their confusion when they saw my outfit. So do not make the same mistake as I did!
What was worse was that near the castle, we saw a bus stop sign – there was a bus line going to the castle from somewhere else! Well, despite the life-threatening situations and freezing, howling winds, it was a nice hike overall.
The Lichtenstein Castle:
The good thing next to the castle is that there are two restaurants to choose from – Schloßschenke and Altes Forsthaus. At least when we were there, Schloßschenke was closed, so bring your own food and drinks to prepare for unexpected situations.
There was a small fee to enter the castle, and we booked a guided tour. If you’re planning a visit, be sure to check the castle’s official website for opening hours, as it’s closed to the public from January to February. 
Without the guided tour, one can only walk around and see the courtyard. The castle’s keep and tower are strategically positioned on a cliff and connected to the courtyard via a gated bridge.
Usually this would be the last line of defense if the yard was taken and the keep was under attack. There are also small openings in the walls of the keep and tower for using firearms to fight back. In fact, this castle was designed to be one of the most defensive castles of its time.
From the stone walls of the castle, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town below and the tower itself. Our winter visit offered a striking contrast between the colorful castle and the snow-covered woods, creating a truly captivating vista.
As I mentioned earlier, I made the mistake of prioritizing fashion over function for the winter hike, which I regretted as soon as we arrived. It was winter on a mountain, and the freezing, howling winds made me feel exposed. There was nowhere to hide from the wind and cold, and I had hoped being inside the castle would provide some relief. However, there was no heating inside, and the stone floors froze my feet through my shoes.
Lichtenstein Castle is far less popular than castles like Neuschwanstein and Hohenzollern due to its remote accessibility. Whether you’re drawn by its complex history or its stunning cliffside location, it’s well worth the visit.
Schloss Lichtenstein: A Castle Perched on a Cliff
Positioned on a mountain crest in Baden-Württemberg, Schloss Lichtenstein is a 19th-century Gothic chivalric castle with a rich history. The original Lichtenstein castle, dating back to the 12th century, underwent numerous transformations due to wars and changes in ownership. Today, the remnants of the old castle lie just 500 meters away from the current structure.
Much like Schloss Neuschwanstein, Schloss Lichtenstein is a testament to romantic historicism in Germany, which intrigued me and became the primary reason for my visit. Despite its allure, the castle’s remote location made it a challenging destination to reach. It wasn’t until my birthday in 2022 that I finally had the opportunity to explore it.
To get there, we took Bus 7606 from Reutlingen to Honau, Lichtenstein (Württ). Honau, the town serving as the gateway to the castle, felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, it didn’t have any restaurants or cafes where we could stop by to warm up.
Navigating Our Way to the Castle:
There are different hiking paths to get there. The bus stop Honau, Lichtenstein (Württ) is next to a hotel called “Forellenhof Rössle”, and between them, there is a clearly tilted road, called “Ahornweg”, leading upwards to the mountain. We firstly chose that route, as it was the fastest one.
At the place where the Ahornweg turns right, there is also a smaller path leading straight up to the mountain, and that is the path one should follow – it was also the one we took.
In principle, it is the fastest way to the castle, but because it’s too steep and in Winter, snow covers the path, the deeper we went, the less we could see the trace of the path. It became really impossible for us to climb – we had to crawl, so we decided to take another route.
The other route takes an arc to the castle, making the trip less steep. However, we had the same problem as the other one: it became invisible as we walked deeper. I was afraid we might not make it up there, but Google Maps showed multiple paths, so we figured one of them should finally lead us there. We therefore chose to half follow Google’s directions and half the signs on the trees. We made an even bigger arc and found our way to the castle.
Some narrow, slippery mountain roads were dangerous with snow, especially on the side of the path that was more like a steep cliff.
I fell several times on the way: most likely because I wore chelsea boots and Ralph Lauren Peacoat that only belong to metro fashion. I was not dressed for hiking in winter at all. All other hikers we encountered showed their confusion when they saw my outfit. So do not make the same mistake as I did!
What was worse was that near the castle, we saw a bus stop sign – there was a bus line going to the castle from somewhere else! Well, despite the life-threatening situations and freezing, howling winds, it was a nice hike overall.
The Lichtenstein Castle:
The good thing next to the castle is that there are two restaurants to choose from – Schloßschenke and Altes Forsthaus. At least when we were there, Schloßschenke was closed, so bring your own food and drinks to prepare for unexpected situations.
There was a small fee to enter the castle, and we booked a guided tour. If you’re planning a visit, be sure to check the castle’s official website for opening hours, as it’s closed to the public from January to February. Without the guided tour, one can only walk around and see the courtyard. The castle’s keep and tower are strategically positioned on a cliff and connected to the courtyard via a gated bridge.
Usually this would be the last line of defense if the yard was taken and the keep was under attack. There are also small openings in the walls of the keep and tower for using firearms to fight back. In fact, this castle was designed to be one of the most defensive castles of its time.
From the stone walls of the castle, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town below and the tower itself. Our winter visit offered a striking contrast between the colorful castle and the snow-covered woods, creating a truly captivating vista.
As I mentioned earlier, I made the mistake of prioritizing fashion over function for the winter hike, which I regretted as soon as we arrived. It was winter on a mountain, and the freezing, howling winds made me feel exposed. There was nowhere to hide from the wind and cold, and I had hoped being inside the castle would provide some relief. However, there was no heating inside, and the stone floors froze my feet through my shoes.
Lichtenstein Castle is far less popular than castles like Neuschwanstein and Hohenzollern due to its remote accessibility. Whether you’re drawn by its complex history or its stunning cliffside location, it’s well worth the visit.