Germany's Unknown HIDDEN Castles - Better, Free, No Tourists, STAY THE NIGHT!

[@PassportTwo]

On a completely unrelated note to this video, we are conducting research and need to know what is your favorite Christmas candy and what country are you from?? 🎄🎅🏼 You may or may not see this pop up in a future video so let your voice be heard!! 😎 But also go ahead and let us know your favorite castles as well that we must see 😂

[@andreashorn9638]

Burg Lichtenberg is an ugly castle with an even uglier museum in it. If you really want to see impressive castle ruins go to the Castles in Dahn(old and new), Burg Drachenfels in Busenberg, or Burg Gräfenstein in Merzalben. All not far from you. If you want a big one, where you can (legally) stay a night , go to the Schmidtburg in Schneppenbach, north of Kirn. Just bring a tent....

[@andreashorn9638]

All within easy reach from Ramstein.

[@andrear.berndt9504]

My favourite :Nürnberger Lebkuchen and I'm living in Germany. Btw Great Video!

[@JuLiane]

My favourite Christmas candy are Aachener Printen. It's a special kind of Lebkuchen that you can only buy in Aachen. There are Kräuterprinten but also ones coated in chocolate or in chocolate with almond. I love castles and castle ruins, my mum and I visit them very often, but I can't pick a favourite. I like our fortress Ehrenbreitstein in Koblenz, but that one doesn't count because it's a Prussian build and not a medieval one.

[@zwiddeldum]

My favorite christmas candy would be either „Doppelt gefüllte Mürbchen“ (Cookies made out of shortcrust pastry filled with jam and chocolate) or Christstollen - I can‘t really decide 😁. I‘m from Germany.

[@margretblaswich]

Es lohnt sich wirklich, die nicht so bekannten Burgen und Schlösser zu besuchen. Ihr habt es sehr unterhaltsam gestaltet, danke dafür 🍀

[@PassportTwo]

Schön, dass es Ihnen gefallen hat! 😊

[@k.schmidt2740]

It's nice to see you enjoying "the real thing" - and not poking around in the 19th century idea of the Middle Ages (as in Neuschwanstein!).

[@PassportTwo]

We still gotta get down and check out Neuschwanstein at some point just to check it off the Germany bucket list, but yes, we do love the really old history 😊

[@k.schmidt2740]

@@PassportTwo Neuschwanstein has its own very, very intriguing story. It is one of the romantic flight of the then king of Bavaria into his 19th century fantasy world. Because he was living during the first industrial revolution, what he built is fascinating in its own right. He also nearly bankrupted the Bavarian state with his building activity.

[@martinohnenamen6147]

@@k.schmidt2740 And nowadays Neuschwanstein (and the other "castles" he had built) are a huge income source for Bavaria :D Going full circle so to speak :)

[@dietapferetrantute7679]

If you are interested in how the construction of Castles worked, you should visit Guedelon in France (after Lockdown of course) They are building a Castle with the methods of the 13th century there.

[@PassportTwo]

Oh wow! Hadn't heard about this project but would be very interested in checking it out. Thanks for sharing 😃

[@henrietteneuschwander219]

@@PassportTwo There also a project in Messkirch, where they are building a monastery according to plans from medieval times that were never used. It's called Campus Galli: www.campus-galli.de/

[@RustyDust101]

Hehe, love the bloopers. Do keep them in, please. They make this so much more authentic (and funny). Thumbs up.

[@PassportTwo]

So glad you enjoy those! We will definitely keep a few of those in 😊 There are a ton more bloopers that we cut to save time and then every month make an entire video of just those 😅

[@DirkPeki]

Nice video, I can recomment visiting the "Hegau" there are many ruins, Lake Constance is very close, partly visible from the ruins and when the foehn wind blows in the autumn, the Alps can also be seen very well.

[@petereggers7603]

Wow...you've picked a jewel of a castle ruin. Really amazing how deep you get into research... and thx a lot for showing these gems... even to us germans 👍😍😊😁 Do you consider to do a tour next year along the middle rhine valley (Koblenz to Bingen)? There you'll find a lot of castles...ruins and restored ones... e.g. Burg Rheinfels, Marksburg, Burg Stolzenfels, the "twins" Burg Katz & Burg Maus and many more...

[@PassportTwo]

So glad you enjoyed it! 😃 This is an area we actually know very well and LOVE! We definitely want to do a video on it sometime. Probably in the Spring when the weather is nice again 😃

[@petereggers7603]

@@PassportTwo Good to hear... 😀👍 Another suggestion would be to explore the castles along the river Mosel. You may visit Schloss Veldenz, yes the home base of the Counts of Veldenz... 😉 Not to miss there as well: Burg Beilstein, Cochem, Burg Thurant (Alken) and Burg Metternich and and and...

[@theowaigel8588]

I simply like the enthuiasm you talk about your subject, nice to watch and... to learn something about Germany as a German from two open-minded Americans. I reckon the majority of your viewers is German exactly for that reason

[@hhv620]

Nördlingen im Ries and Harburg Castle. There is the Ipf (Celtic Castle) and Flochberg Castle, castle Hochhaus and Castle Niederhaus, too. And Reussenstein near Stuttgart.

[@kathanpatel1044]

My favorite one is Burg Hohenzollern. It is like the Neuschwanstein of Baden-Württemberg. There is also a view point that requires you to do a hike of around 3.5 km from the castle and it was the best view I had ever experienced in my life! A must-visit castle.

[@PassportTwo]

Wow! We will have to look up that hike once we are able to get out and visit that castle 😃

[@HingerlAlois]

To be fair Burg Hohenzollern is also more of a fantasy castle like Neuschwanstein, it’s very nice, but the buildings you see nowadays aren’t really old (1850-1867).

[@DeanaandPhil]

Looks like such a fun trip! 🏰 And there's a bathroom fooo freee?? Noice! 😍👌

[@PassportTwo]

FO FREE! 😃

[@lindatisue733]

Lovely video. Poland has a lot of amazing castles too, many are now hostles or affordable hotels. When the lock down is over, I plan to bike the Eagles' Nest trail, ~ 200 km of 14th century defensive castles.

[@jmetzger2666]

To see you guys in my hometown area (kusel) makes me very happy :) because I haven't been there for almost 3 years

[@sannidaily]

It looks so beautiful!! I really like your video!!

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed 😊

[@Rains215]

I currently live in kusel, Lichtenburg is always a blast to walk in. The medieval and Christmas markets that it hosts are even better.

[@rachelmattert2638]

This is one of my favorite videos guys! Such a great spot. And the restaurant food is really good. As is their homemade seasonal lemonade. Just sayin

[@PassportTwo]

Duly noted! As soon as we are able to eat there, we will do so and have you in mind 😊

[@annabear3553]

If you are in Baden-Württemberg there is a thing called Schlösser-Card. It is a little booklet of coupons that allow you free entrance to all state owned castles and gardens. It is very cheep and valid for a year. It provided me and a friend with lots of destinations for a Sunday outing.

[@PassportTwo]

We had heard of this before COVID but of course didn't get a chance to really look into getting one before this year was sent spiraling 😅 Really would like looking into getting one of these cards eventually! 😃

[@annabear3553]

@@PassportTwo If you do, I especially recommend Schloss Favorite in Rastatt!

[@taprinamilburn397]

Can’t wait to see this someday. Congratulations on 10k subscribers!

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks so much 😊

[@andersl7912]

Thank you very much for sharing this castle. As an amateur photographer, I immediately put this on my photo bucket list! ;) If you want to visit my favorite castle travel to Baden-Baden (it's about 2 hours away from you) and visit "das alte Schloss Hohenbaden". It is also very great. If you go there don't miss to hike to the "Ritterplatte" (knight plate) behind the castle. It is a 20 minute very exhausting walk but the view compensates for everything, especially if you have a picnic there at sunset it is worth it.

[@tommyedodson2412]

just found your channel. Loving it. Always on the lookout for hidden gems. This one looks very much like Rheinsfels Castles but without the entry fee.

[@PassportTwo]

So glad you found us and are enjoying our videos! 😊 Haven't heard of this castle, but we will have to check it out 😃

[@zakkwyldesdmf13]

Yes, that applies to almost every country - skip the tourist attractions, find the gems. That's why I always ask local people where to go and what to visit.

[@benjaminjakob1906]

Great pictures! Good idea to visit for next Sunday s trip. So you're very much into medieval Germany! Of course, castles and half timbered houses are really impressive... 😉 When will you start diving into other periods of German history like: the Romans (could start with Trier ...), baroque ages, industrial monuments ... There's plenty of history to discover😊 Favourite Christmas "Candy": Stollen, Vanille-Kipferl

[@PassportTwo]

We have explored many different parts of German history and Trier is one of our favorite German cities that we have actually visited countless times 😅 I (Donnie) am a MASSIVE Roman history nerd so I go back there any chance I can (like today in fact 😂). When we first moved here, Trier was one of our first day trips we took and made a video about 😊 kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKPJhId8od2AacU

[@elenasabakuno6805]

Burg Eltz is one of the prettiest castles in Europe and it is just amazing. They show you the inside and tell you about the history of this castle. It isn't expensive and they show you the castle in German and English.

[@smileyobrien]

Wir unterscheiden ja nochmal nach Burgen und Schlössern. Definitiv sollte man die Dornburger Schlösser bei Jena sehen. Wieder mal was mit Goethe! Und meine Lieblingsburg ist die süße kleine Burg Schönfels bei Zwickau. Aber ganz ehrlich?! Es sind sooo viele....

[@PassportTwo]

Haha, stimmt! Sssoooo viele!! Wie kann man alle Schlösser und Burgen sehen?? 😂

[@petereggers7603]

@smileyobrien Exactly and that's the point why you can't compare a ruin like Lichtenberg with Burg Eltz or Schloss Bürresheim (lit. next to Burg Eltz).

[@Tanne387]

This video was recommeded to me by youtube. Quite surprised it was something from my actual town ;)

[@zakkwyldesdmf13]

Not castles, but I can highly recommend visiting Maulbronn Monastery (Kloster Maulbronn), which is a nice day trip from your area and Speyer Cathedral (Dom zu Speyer) especially with the International Organ Contest. :-)

[@yankeefred01]

GREAT video, guys!!i I always went where the tourists were not, & I loved every minute of it!!!! My favorite Christmas candy is the "chocolate oranges", & I am from Virginia, USA ... wishing that I was in Germany!!!

[@PassportTwo]

We are also HUGE chocolate orange fans! Aubrey did grow up with those for Christmas but it was new to me (Donnie 😅)

[@MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Howdy guys, Thanks so much for sharing this castle. I have been to Baumholder before but I have never visited this castle and I would surely love to check it out. The 3D model looks amazing and can now see what it had looked like. I can't wait to get back to Germany, I need castles and Spaghetti Eis lol lol !!!! :) :)

[@PassportTwo]

Hope y’all are able to make it over to Germany soon as well! 😊

[@irian42]

Thank you so much! I LOVE visiting castles - but I must admit I often stay outside and just take photos there because the tours are often not that interesting to me.

[@PassportTwo]

Ya, a lot of the tours cover the same things in each castle but we usually get suckered in thinking, „this one will be different!“ We still always enjoy it though! Haha

[@johnlauber5609]

My wife and I went to Ireland in 2018 and Scotland in 2019. Both places have castles that are ruined like this but they charge an admission fee. Good to see that Germany has some of these historical attractions for free. We plan to visit Germany and Austria in 2021 if COVID-19 has been tamed.

[@PassportTwo]

Scotland and Ireland are two of our favorite places to visit! Hope y’all are able to make it over here next year 😃

[@kraftandre5538]

Nice vlog.Donnie, you´re a real castle fan, aren´t you?

[@PassportTwo]

Huge castle fan 😊

[@nohat421]

How cute that you thought you would be there all on your own. Of course the locals know the Lichtenburg. (That's how we call it.) It is a very popular place to go on a sunday when you have children. My family went there very often when I was young. We even had a medieval festival from Kindergarten there. But it's true that there are not many tourists and the region of Kusel has little population. So you won't meet too many people there.

[@donaghmore1967]

Burg Lichtenberg - my father was born there. Love this place

[@donaghmore1967]

We held the funeral service for him in the castle. One of my brothers got married there.

[@PassportTwo]

Wow! What amazing family history there. Cool to be able to have all those stories and memories there 😊

[@robertmirwald2521]

Come to Burghausen it is the longest Castle in the world and enter is free. Down the castle is a pretty old town.

[@PassportTwo]

Hadn't heard of this one yet, thanks so much for letting us know about it! 😃

[@abalada]

@@PassportTwo www.burg-burghausen.de/englisch/castle/bedeut.htm

[@michielvoetberg4634]

This is exactly what I tend to do on holiday. Going to take a look at that database. I myself am going to mark castles I visited on scribblemaps.

[@PassportTwo]

That’s awesome! We haven’t heard of scribblemaps but will have to check it out 😃

[@michielvoetberg4634]

@@PassportTwo It is simply google maps but you can draw on it and save it for later.

[@PassportTwo]

Still good to know! Thanks!

[@aixtom979]

A nice one here in the area here is Schloss Liebenstein (next to Neckarwestheim). The interesting thin being that it was originally planned as an imperial castle for König Heinrich VII around 1200, but when he didn't manage to become emperor it was to big for just one local aristocrat, so two and sometimes three aristocratic families lived in different parts of it.

[@PassportTwo]

Haven’t heard of this one! Thanks for sharing about its history too. We will look it up and try and check it out sometime 😃

[@petragillespie6901]

I am a german living in the USA..My favorite cookie is .., Spritzgebäck..I am from Rheinland Pfalz..my favorite castle is .. Neuschwanstein..thank you for sharing.❤️

[@PassportTwo]

Had to look those up by they look yummy!! 😃

[@miriam.sanderc]

I am planning on going on a trip to Europe and Germany is one of my destinations! I was wondering if you know the name of the youth hostel so I can look into going?

[@bastiaan4129]

The holes next to the door are probably for some hinges (which would be set in lead, which has long since dissapeared) and the big square hole is probably for a big wooden beam which could be used as a deadbolt. I remember seeing this castle from afar when i was a child, i'm for sure going to visit it some day. Semi ruins are way better than restored castles.

[@PassportTwo]

Definitely is worth a visit sometime. Nice little day trip 😊

[@bastiaan4129]

@@PassportTwo it would be quite a long daytrip from the Netherlands, but we used to go on holiday in that region. The gemstone mines in Idar-oberstein and the city of Trier are also great places to visit there.

[@Alicia-wq7ud]

Donnie! Warum hast du Aubrey noch nicht den Drachenfelsen hoch gescheucht? Du hast doch in Bonn gewohnt, da ist der Drachenfelsen Pflicht! Oh und man muss ihn hoch laufen, damit man danach das Gefühl hat, wie Siegfried, den Drachen bezwungen zu haben!

[@PassportTwo]

haha, da war ich schon, als ich dort gelebt habe! Aber ich möchte Aubrey bald dorthin bringen, um es ihr zu zeigen. Bonn ist eine unserer Lieblingsstädte und wir wollen so oft wie möglich dorthin fahren!

[@Alicia-wq7ud]

Da steckt so viel geschickte im Felsen, ich dachte ihr hättet den schon besucht. Er wurde zum Großteil für den Bau des Kölner Doms abgetragen und Siegfried hat den Drachen dort getötet! Das sind nur zwei Geschichten aus dem Siebengebirge, es gibt so viel mehr davon. Aber wenn ihr dort hin wollt, geht lieber in der Woche. Ich war letztes Wochenende dort und es war so voll...

[@56932982]

I live in Kaiserslautern and I can give you some tips for other nice castles in the area: Burg Gräfenstein near the village of Merzalben. (You can and should climb the keep. But bring a light as the stair case is quite dark.) Hardenburg in Bad Dürkheim. Combine it with a visit to the old monastery "Limburg" and the roman quarry "Kriemhildenstuhl" in Bad Dürkheim. Frankenstein im Hochspeyerbachtal, when you are en route to Bad Dürkheim. The "Dahner Burgengruppe" near the town of Dahn. Burg Berwartstein in Erlenbach near Dahn. Falkenstein near Winnweiler / Rockenhausen. Not that big, but still quite nice.

[@PassportTwo]

On your list, we have only been to Frankenstein. Thanks so much for the list!! 😃 Especially in the current lockdown light situation, we are looking for places we can visit in our area 👍

[@56932982]

@@PassportTwo No problem. My hobby is trail running. So I know quite a few nice places in the northern part of the palatinate forest. Here are a few more. The words in quotes are articles in the German Wikipedia. Just plug them in to the search field of the German Wikipedia and you will get to the right article. (German Wikipedia as the English Wikipedia doesn't have articles for all of these places.) "Drachenfels (Mittlerer Pfälzerwald)" Make sure to visit both caves. (You may continue your hike to "Lambertskreuz" and have a meal there, once they reopen...) "Luitpoldturm" "Eschkopfturm" "Speyerbach" from "Elmstein" to "Lambrecht (Pfalz)" "Leinbach (Hochspeyerbach)" "Rahnfels" "Battenberg (Pfalz)" "Eiswoog" "Donnersberg" (View point "Adlerbogen") "Schwarzbach (Blies)" The upper part from "Johanniskreuz" to "Waldfischbach-Burgalben". Make sure to visit the "Heidelsburg" and the near by Seelenfelsen above the Hundsweihersägemühle. "Rodalber Felsenwanderweg" "Altschlossfelsen" "Karlstal" (Quite touristy.) "Potzberg" "Otterberg" (Carefully check the section "Söhne und Töchter der Stadt" in that article.) "Kalmit"

[@andibuletten6206]

I'm not a candy fan at all. But: Come and visit Koblenz. You will see a lot of castles and fortresses!! One of my favourites is the Marksburg and also the fortress Ehrenbreitstein!! Very beautiful is the Schloss Stolzenfels. You can visit all of them at the same day. Stay healthy.

[@PassportTwo]

Took a very short day trip to Koblenz one afternoon but didn't get a chance to look around at much. Plan on doing so one of these days and do a proper visit! Thanks for all the suggestions 😊

[@anmaclemi]

Thank you so much - what a wonderful place! I will definitely go there sometimes, as my parents are living about an hour drive from the castle ... that I never heard of. 🤗👋🏼

[@PassportTwo]

Amazing! Glad we could show you something new 😃

[@thkempe]

I love to visit castles due to their historical importance and less to the impression of their ruins. Did you already travel to Trifels Castle? King Richard Lionheart of England had been imprisoned there. And it had been the keep of the Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire.

[@PassportTwo]

We haven't gotten to visit it yet, but we just had someone else recommend it also. Must definitely be worth the visit with all these recommendations! 😊

[@afhdfh]

The holes and niches iin the side of the walls were often for storage. Sometimes, since the walls were so thick and insulated, they put food in them and smeared grease right underneatt it so that the rats and mice couldn't climb up to steal the food. :)

[@jonathankolberg2706]

I remember in school we had a trip with sleepover in this castle :)

[@PassportTwo]

That’s awesome! Can’t imagine growing up and having trips like that 😃

[@jonathankolberg2706]

@@PassportTwo One of the most interesting experiences was being at a private „Fest“ in a castle, that is still lived in invited by the family that originaly built the castle

[@robbyh.8165]

I highly recommend Altenstein Palace (Schloss Altenstein) in Thuringia. It looks very British and the surrounding gardens are tranquil and beautiful. There were literally no people when I went there a few months ago. :-)

[@PassportTwo]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the recommendation. We will add it to our list 😊

[@robbyh.8165]

@@PassportTwo that must be a veeeeeerrrryyyy long list. haha

[@robbyh.8165]

@@PassportTwo Oh and if you are there, also try to take a trip to Coburg. That's basically where the British royal family hails from, if you are interested in that. ;-)

[@thepurplesmurf]

I'm curious, because you live in the KL region. Have you explored the remainings of the Barbarossaburg (Burg Kaiserslautern) yet? Also, did you visit the ancient/medieval underground tunnel system of Kaiserslautern, if it is still accessible? I don't know if or how much is still accessible for the public, but many years (or should i say decades?!) ago, when i was in school, we did a guided tour with our school class. We were under ground for hours, walking the kilometers of tunnel system. There is the remainings of an ancient celtic graveyard and a large cave where the Lauter passes through. The creek Lauter that gave the city its name, along with Emperor Barbarossa who resided there in the castle, hence the name Barbarossaburg and Kaiserslautern (Kaisers refers to the roman emperor Barbarossa (Emperor means Kaiser in german) and lautern refers to the creek Lauter) passes beneath the city. At some point the creek comes out of the rocks and runs through the cave under the city and then goes back underground. The entrance to the tunnel system is next to the city hall (Rathaus) and i believe you can still book guided tours in the tourist information center, which is also next to the city hall. But perhaps i'm wrong and after so many years they locked it up to prevent damage to the underground system.

[@PassportTwo]

We haven't done any of that or even heard of the tunnels! Sounds super interesting though. Will have to look into it and see if that is something they still offer tours of.

[@hannelorefriedland9650]

Aubrey and Donnie: Visit the large Fortress Koenigstein/ Saxony near Dresden. It`s a beautiful historcially place to be

[@PassportTwo]

We went to Dresden a few months ago and definitely want to get back to explore more of that area. Thanks for the suggestion! 😊

[@thkempe]

@@PassportTwo Haha, Valerie and Zachary from the channel "The Always Home" made a video about their visit to the fortress. It was a pretty wet experience.

[@johanneshalberstadt3663]

😂🤣 Why did Donnie react so annoyed to Aubreys little melody?

[@PassportTwo]

😂😂We have a complicated way of showing each other we love each other 😅

[@beckydittokoerner8396]

Love this video!

[@PassportTwo]

So glad you enjoyed it! 😊 Thanks so much for letting us know. Very encouraging! 😃

[@Ashley92090]

Do you know if this is open right now during the lockdowns?

[@PassportTwo]

Restaurants and museums are not, the castle is 😊

[@Ashley92090]

@@PassportTwo thank you!!

[@juergenurbas6395]

Well done again... top Video. Thank you . Please visit the Home of 1000 🌲⛰🌲- the Aerea : Sauerland / North Rhine Westphalia . Centre: City Winterberg . Wonderful Nature - and several Castles... The Burg Altena in the City of Altena also so good to visit. There ist the first/oldest Youth Hostel of the World. See you ..

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks so much! 😊 We will definitely make our way over there when we can! You have been very faithful in suggesting your area for a while and we hope to see it soon! 😁

[@juergenurbas6395]

@@PassportTwo Ich sage Danke. Wenn Ihr das Sauerland besuchen wollt. Herzliche ❤️ Einladung nach Winterberg . Unsere Familie hat eine wunderschöne Ferienwohnung in Winterberg ( Gluecksklee for you) - wir laden Euch sehr gerne für einige Tage ein. Vielleicht klappt es ja ... Top Location. Danke für Eure tollen Videos. (Better in German - Sorry my English Schooltime is long ago 😅🤷🏻‍♂️) [e-mail]

[@steeler54combathamster52]

@@PassportTwo and then you can directly take 'Schloss Burg' (yes, that's really what it's called) near Solingen. It is not so far away from the Sauerland.

[@derteeminator9333]

Und wenn Du schon in der Gegend bist direkt weiter hoch bis an den Niederrhein (auch Nordrhein-Westfalen) - dort könnt Ihr dann bis nach Xanten hoch euch die nördlichste Befestigung (dauerhaftes Feldlager / kleine Stadt) der Römer anschauen. Ist ein interessanter Archäologischer Park mit vielen freigelegten Ruinen. Gehört mit Schloss Drachenfels (+Burgruine Drachenfels auf einer Insel im Rhein) mit zu den (vermuteten) Schauplätzen der Niebelungensage. Generell solltet Ihr auch mal öfters Richtung Nordwesten reisen. OK NRW hat jetzt landschaftlich vielleicht nicht den besten Ruf aber auch hier gibt es einiges zu sehen. Industriekultur (gerade Essen, Oberhausen, Mühlheim geben sich große Mühe die alten Industriegebäude interessant auszustellen). Der Niederrhein als landschaftlich einzigartige Gegend - Xanten ist da ein gutes Beispiel. Köln hat auch noch einiges zu bieten was ich in eurem Video vom Weihnachtsmarkt / Dom noch nicht gesehen habe (Röm./ Germanisches Museum, Schokoladenmuseum der Firma Sarotti - beides in der Nähe vom Dom sind nur 2 von vielen).

[@Frohds14]

If you are interested in the the earliest history of "Deutschland" (the time when it changed from Germania to Deutschland in the time of Henry the Fowler), I recommend you Die Straße der Romanik. Start in Gosslar, go over Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, Magdeburg, Burg, Tangermünde Havelberg and Jerichow and stop in the city of Brandenburg. Visit the palatines, the castles, the cathedrals and medieval churches on the way. It's worth it, I promise. The area is fully developed for tourism, has many guests, but is not a mass tourism area. If you are interested in medieval German history, you will feel in paradise. For preparation I recommend the books of Rebecca Gablé "Das Haupt der Welt" und "Die fremde Königin", two historical novels about the Ottonians and the rise of the Regnum Teutonicum.

[@PassportTwo]

WE have had this road trip on our bucket list for Germany and we hope to do it sometime when travel is more feasible and less restricted of course. Thanks so much for all the great recommendations of things to see along the way! I'm sure we really would feel in medieval paradise! 😃

[@Alexander-dt2eq]

Checkout JH Burg Wildenstein - I stayed there overnight in a tower section of the castle... so you have no JH next to it, but stay in the real castle. maybe more like these do exist in Germany?

[@PassportTwo]

Oh, awesome! Sounds kind of like Burg Stahleck in Bacharach 😃

[@abalada]

There are so 30 youth hostels in castles and palaces in Germany. With so many castles it's difficult to find a useful usage for many at all. Esp. the ones not close to a town or city. Burg Wildenstein is however one of the few which was never taken by force. Esp. in Rhineland-Palatinate most have been destroyed by the French over the centuries. But also there are a few ones which never had been destroyed like Burg Eltz and the Marksburg. The latter is also the best-preserved medieval castle in Germany. www.marksburg.de/en/

[@HenryLoenwind]

@@PassportTwo Not quite. Where Stahleck sits on the side of a valley, Wildenstein sits on a rock needle, only connected by a narrow bridge. Breuberg also is nice, completely different layout again. It's round and sits on top of a single hill.

[@philippmetzger1126]

I would recommend Burg Altena in Altena in the Sauerland area - the first youth hostel/Jugendherberge (now a Jugendherberge-msueum afaik) ever. And an impressive castle too.

[@robertstein698]

Don't miss the Burgruine Hohengeroldseck in the Black Forest too! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnfLoK1uqbuHfM0 If you want to see fightening knights and medieval flair, visit the “Kaltenberger Ritterturnier“ near Munich once a time in the year. www.ritterturnier.de/

[@PassportTwo]

Thanks so much for these recommendations!! We definitely have added them to our list of things to do (we do literally have an extremely long list on our phone we put all these recommendations! 😄)

[@tomboswt98]

Wow very close to K-Town

[@h.s.3273]

Perhaps you are also interested in medieval music. Check out You Tube for bands like "Corvus Corax" or "Schandmaul", which also perform at medieval festivals in castles.

[@PassportTwo]

Will check it out, thanks! 😊

[@arnodobler1096]

Preserve Buildings, Landscapes AND History (Goods and Bads) is one of the best in Germany - I´m proud!

[@PassportTwo]

We love it too! 😃

[@itsdeanya]

We love your channel. You teach even my German husband some new things about his Heimat. One thing, do warn people not to say "bathroom" here, or they will really get it from the locals, LOL.

[@PassportTwo]

So glad you enjoy it and thank you so much for that encouragement! 😊

[@petrac8875]

Hier in Deutschland gibt es sehr viele schöne Burgen 🙂

[@valeriaraven805]

Actually they are not hidden. But most people are just not-interested in it. unfortunatly. I'm so lucky that i live close to 7 old castles. by night it is kinda creepy there and you almost can "feel" the old souls who lived there

[@PassportTwo]

Wow, what an awesome place to live it sounds like! 😃

[@valeriaraven805]

@@PassportTwo If you plan a trip to north rhein westfalia: castle Hohenlimburg: its a museum castle (currently closed) but you can take a walk in the forest there and go around the castle Raffenburg: close to the Hohenlimburg. a REAL ruin. very small. hidden in a small forest on a small hill. the atmosphere (in my opinion) is really nice there. few people by day. none by night. Hohensyburg: a castle ruin on top of a hill with a added memorial on a platform, where you have a view over a town. close to the ruin, next the parking place, is a small church, which was built round 700 and a small graveyard. very nice by night

[@jensschroder8214]

There were many princes and kings in Germany, so there are many castles and palaces.

[@saschahellwig6469]

I am born and raised in kusel.

[@andreasmartin9296]

How comes I have to watch a youtube channel of two Americans to find out about the most interesting spots in my place?

[@AnonYMous-wb5kk]

Vielen Dank für Eure Entdeckervideos meiner Heimat - diese öffnen eine ganz andere Perspektive auf "Selbstverständlichkeiten". Ans Herz legen möchte ich Euch die keltische Vergangenheit der Region: Schaut Euch z.B. die Hügelgräber bei Börsborn an (www.komoot.de/smarttour/291085), diese liegen keine zwanzig Autominuten von Ramstein entfernt, sind kostenlos und gut mit einem kurzen Spaziergang zu verbinden. Many thanks for your explorer-videos of my homeland - they open a completely different perspective on things taken for granted. I´d like to entrust you with the celtic past of the region: e.g. have a go for the burial mounds near Börsborn (www.komoot.de/smarttour/291085), they are barely twenty minutes away (by car) from ramstein, free of charge and quite combinable with a short stroll. Beste Grüße

[@Xnhl]

Oh yes, our many nice castles... This year's Halloween should have been perfect: Saturday (important, as Halloween isn't a holiday here), a blue moon.... on our Frankenstein castle... stupid virus..😔

[@PassportTwo]

It is a holiday in the US but not official and nobody gets off from work or school for Halloween so Friday and Saturday Halloween’s are also special even in the US! So it’s sad even in states about the virus and Halloween this year 😔

[@Xnhl]

@@PassportTwo Ah, then it's an incorrect memory of mine. We definitely have more castles, than one could visit ;) My favourite is our Frankenstein (Lokalpatriotism playing in here) then Breuberg and Otzberg; Heidelberg; my castle walk starting in Neckargemünd, with its own castle ruin, then over to Dilsberg, and back on the path leading to Neckarsteinach with a "4- castle- area", the most prominent maybe being the "Schwalbennest" ... And so on...

[@furzkram]

Check out Burg Berwartstein near Landau. burgberwarstein.de

[@rolandk.5720]

Neuschwanstein is overhyped, that's awfully true. I visited Neuschwanstein this year while a short vacation in the Allgäu and was surprised that it was not as overcrowded as I expected, due to CoVID19. I didn't buy the tour inside and strolled around the castle and the lake below. Very relaxing. I visited the "Linderhof", built by the same Ludwig the 2nd, King of Bavaria , where you find free bathrooms, too ;-) One of the most famous castles in german history is the "Hambacher Schloss". That is the place where the german democratic movement was founded. Very nice, reachable by public transport. Also one of the biggest and well preserved is the Fortification "Coburg" above the City of Coburg in Frankonia. Fun to explore by hiking are the "Drei Gleichen", an ensemble of 3 castles built near the now Autobahn 4 between the cities of Gotha and Erfurt in Thuringia. Your video did remind me of the castle "Schaumburg" near the river Weser. The tower looks almost identical there. I visited it on a roundtrip to the river Weser in July, there were only very few other visitors. It is always entertaining watching your video, hope you will have never ending ideas for your channel.

[@PassportTwo]

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions of places we should check out! Hadn't really heard of any of these 😃 We are so glad you enjoy our videos as well 😊

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

Many tourist attractions like Neuschwanstein, Hohenzollern, Sigmaringen castle and so on are not authentic anyway - they are 19th century "Disneyland-like" built (or rebuilt) mockups, influenced by the romanticizing fashion of that time. The biggest fortress in Germany is probably Ulm, but it's not medieval either, but also 19th century (the Bundesfestung Ulm / Federal Fortress Ulm encompasses the old imperial city Ulm). Another famous fortress ruin is Hohentwiel, built in the 10th century on an extinct volcano and destroyed by French troops in the 19th century. A special 19th century castle would be Schloss Montfort at Langenargen, built in the "moorish" style by the kings of Wurttemberg 1861-67 and sold to Princess Luise of Prussia in 1873. It was built on the site of the Castle Argen belonging the counts of Montfort which became broke in the 18th century because of their building frenzy, as different branches of the family rebuilt their respective main seats in the baroque style, like the New Palace (Neues Schloss) in Tettnang. (The Old Palace is now the town hall of Tettnang.)

[@PassportTwo]

Great information! We did visit Ulm but for the cathedral, didn't get a chance to see the fortress. We want to go back for that!

[@NewBlueTrue]

Wait, if you’re showing these hidden castles, won’t they become tourist attractions once Corona is over?

[@berndhoffmann7703]

Mind you sometimes one has even to pay for visiting ruins :)

[@PassportTwo]

You're definitely right! Not ALL are free 😊

[@berndhoffmann7703]

Passport Two I do hope you recognized some of the fun I had answering😂

[@marie9814]

so due to the current pandemic there isn't much travelling. But you keep saying that you like recommendations, so: Visit Aachen and the Nothern Eifel Region. The Dom of Aachen ist UNESCO Weltkulturerbe, it's also famous for its gingerbreads. It is the crowning city and burial city of charlemagne. About half an hour south west of Aachen you can find the small city of Monschau. It's a ilttle touristy, but not that much. It's famous for its mustard. Not far from Monschau is the beautiful Rursee, you can go hiking there or get o a boat and cruise around the lake. Near the lake you can visit Vogelsang, a former Nazi estate where future Nazi leaders were educated. It's one of the largest architectural relics of national socialism. There a 2 museums - one nature museum about all the wildlife of the national park Eifel and one about the history of the Ordensburg Vogelsang Building. Travelling further south you can find Maria Laach (also not that far from Trier), it's part of the volcano Eifel. There are Maare, kind of old volcano craters, now lakes. Also in that area Aachen/ Rursee you can visit the "Hohes Venn" near the Belgian boarder. It's also nice for hiking and parts of it are a raised bog. If you like hiking you can walk the Eifelsteig, a long distance hiking trail connecting Trier and Aachen. www.eifelsteig.de/ And if you like nice little cities: Maastricht is right behind the dutch boarder, not really far from Aachen. If you are visiting Aachen you should also try a lütticher waffle (Lüttich is in Belgium, rikght behind the Boarder). Very tasty.

[@jannisnoltsch2087]

it may not be allowed to fly drones gernerally, but you can ask for permission at the local government, if you have a specific reason - youtuber who wants to shoot good views etc

[@PassportTwo]

Good tip! Sometimes it gets a little more complicated in our area because there are so many military bases around here and they are extra strict about it of course, but maybe here would have been far enough away I could have tried that...😊

[@detales91]

I was wondering how much % are german subscribers? xD

[@PassportTwo]

~72% to be exact 😊

[@weinhainde2550]

Spekulatius (nicht gekauft, selbst gemacht) DE

[@PassportTwo]

Mmmmm lecker! Vielen Dank für deine Antwort 😊

[@steffenrosmus1864]

No tourists, come on you visited them🤣🤣🤣

[@PassportTwo]

We live here, so not tourists in our book 😉😂😂

[@steffenrosmus1864]

@@PassportTwo Even if you live here you are per definition tourists if you visit regions beyond your living aerea😉😉

[@doroparker1702]

@@PassportTwo you both are tourists from USA. 😉 You have to admit that you only took a job in Germany to travel around. 🙄😁 Let's see how much of the 25000 castles you can visit before you lose interest.

[@HingerlAlois]

@@doroparker1702 Well of the estimated 25.000 castles about 40% are no longer really visible (Burgstall), you might only see some artificial hills or trenches in the landscape. Especially the oldest castles were often built from wood and didn’t survive until today. Another 40% are ruins and 20% survived until today.