Hohenzollern Castle

This was the ancestral seat, from which the dynasty took its name. Learn about the House of Hohenzollern, who ruled from here for 500 years; enjoy the panoramic views over the rolling Swabian Mountains. As Kaiser Wilhelm II said: “The view from the Hohenzollern Castle is truly worth the journey.”

Inside, there is also plenty to see, including Kaiser Wilhelm II’s famous “Hohenzollern Crown,” made in 1888. Beneath a diamond-studded cross is a huge sapphire, but there are also 142 rose-cut diamonds, 18 more diamonds and 8 large pearls. The castle is in Hechingen, about 40 miles/65 km south of Stuttgart.