Museums along the Castle Road

History, stories and curiosities

Drive the famous Castle Road from Mannheim to Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Schwäbisch Hall, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and on to Prague, and you not only drive through lovely countryside. It is like driving through the pages of a history book.

On the 700 miles/1,100 km from the Neckar valley to Bohemia, there are well over 100 museums. To find them, just enter any of the mighty castles and magnificent palaces. Inside are grand halls and antiques, paintings and collections of weapons.

From Stuttgart, the Renaissance Schloss Neuenstein is to the northeast; to the north is Weinsberg, where you should ask about the “Faithful Wives” of Weinsberg, a tale still told with pride after 900 years. Further north, the 800-year-old Burg Guttenberg castle, in Gundelsheim, offers falconry displays and living history. In Heidelberg, see the ancient pharmacy in the dramatic ruins of the castle.