Germany's Medieval Heartland

Proud cathedrals and small country churches, defiant castles and peaceful monasteries – they all bear witness to the deep-rooted fear of God, yet also to the most mysterious eras in history: the medieval …

Passion Play 2010: Tickets for Sale

A play of life and death, promised in a moment of mortal threat - so began the history of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1633. In the middle of the Thirty Years War, after months of suffering and death …

High Speed Mobility with ICE Trains

Germany certainly has not become smaller but distances between cities are shrinking fast – at least if you take the train. Due to extensive investments in railroads and tracks, new ICEs connect German Cities with a travel speed of up to 160 mph. With the German Rail Pass, the ICE offers high speed mobility at a very competitive price …

Kalkar. – Most of the time they do not only look picturesque, but are Germany´s most important touristic export hit: the monasteries, castles, palaces and gardens that emerged in the whole country between the late Carolingian era and the 19th Century. The historical heritage they represent and customize in numerous museums, collections and exhibitions, has proven to be a hard currency within the global competition for international arrivals. However, the witnesses of an era bygone are as well appealing to domestic visitors. “The castles and palaces that Germany offers are all originals”, states the German National Tourist Board. “And all the well-preserved ones are not just a handful, but rather various hundreds from all eras and styles. Each one has its own long and exciting history”.

Aristocratic Vacations: Castles Offering Bed & Breakfast

Many of them are still privately owned, often inherited for centuries – and in some cases run as private guesthouses offering the very rare opportunity to enjoy bed and breakfast in ancient monuments. Meanwhile, even the European Union is promoting the idea of turning castles into hotels to create additional touristic value for the lower Rhine Valley: Along the German-Dutch border region in North Rhine Westphalia, a project called “Bed and Breakfast behind castle walls” has realized 42 new overnight accommodation facilities in 14 houses supported by an Europen incentive scheme.
The project had been developed by the innovative concept of the Organization Culture & Castles. In the last 3 years, the cross-border Culture and Castle organization with their place of residence in Kalkar in the Lower Rhine region enabled 10 private monuments in the region Rhine-Waal now accessible for touristic use. Simultaneously, a nationwide marketing campaign was launched and, in the meantime, 30 castles throughout Germany and the Dutch border region, participated. Vacancies can be checked by online booking requests.

Classy Venues

The high level of demand for historical real estate elucidates a glance at the daily rates that can be asserted for the letting of premises for events by the administration of castles in Bavaria: The letting of emperor´s hall in the imperial residence for a stand-up reception or an awards ceremony is possible from 15,000 Euros. A lower rate is possible without any considerable disadvantages: the library hall of Herrenchiemsee Palace – at least big enough for 120 guests- is available for cultural events from 200 Euros per day.