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A view of the village of Landstuhl through a window of Nanstein castle
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Explore Fascinating Nanstein Castle in Landstuhl, Germany

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Southwest Germany has about 20,000 castles, so you’re never more than a cannon ball’s shot away. I found Nanstein Castle on my phone while sitting in the dentist’s office, and it was only 5 minutes away so naturally I had to go check it out before the Novacaine wore off! Nanstein Castle (Burg Nanstein) has everything you need for a good castle exploration – views, stories, history, and a beer garden!

Getting to the castle involved a twisty one-lane road through the deep green Palatinate Forest. Nanstein Castle did not disappoint! As a matter of fact, of the dozens of castles I’ve visited over the years, Nanstein remains one of my very favorites and I bring visitors there as a matter of course.

Here’s what you need to know about its history, when and how to visit, if the audioguide is worth it, and more!

Fascinating and Bloody History

Construction of the impressive red sandstone structure began in the 1100s. But the castle had its most notable period during the early 1500s and its eventful occupation by Franz von Sickingen, “the last chevalier.” Sickingen seemed to have amassed his fortune and land by providing mercenary armies to underdogs in local skirmishes. He often targeted the Catholic church and its hierarchy.

You can still see remnants of this famous knight’s name all over Landstuhl, which used to be called “Sickingenstadt” or Sickingen City.

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If you look carefully at the walls of Nanstein Castle, you can still see a few cannon balls lodged in the stone!
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So many feet have passed this way in the last millennium, it’s worn the step down.
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The views fro the top of Nanstein Castle are stunning. You can hike up, or drive and park right at the castle!
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Here is Franz von Sickingen himself – not far from where he met his end under a giant pile of rock.
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Right by the entrance taking maximum advantage of the stunning views.
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An aerial view of the castle. No, I don’t have a drone. The photo hangs by the entrance.
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Everything is made from the local red sandstone, and the castle seems to come right out of the living rock.
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The castle, built into a natural sandstone cliff
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This is the Stickingen coat of arms. Legend has it that at some point in history, two sons were squabbling about an inheritance after their father died. Their mother insisted it be settled with a snowball fight. The first to hit a target five times with snowballs claimed victory – and so the coat of arms is five white snowball impacts! Very civilized.
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Beware of dragons!!
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Looking up into what once was a tower. The ruins are really quaint and romantic, with nature taking over in little pieces.
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The best possible kind of fixer-upper!

Things went well for Franz, until they didn’t. After an unsuccessful assault on Trier to the West [read my post on Trier here], he retreated back to Nanstein castle. He quickly fortified the castle with sandstone walls that measured 12-15 feet thick!

The Downfall of the Last Knight

One would think these fancy new super-thick walls could withstand a bunch of canon balls, but in the end, the Archbishop of Trier would have his revenge. Three days and 600 cannon balls later, the walls fell in a spectacular way, and Franz met his end under a pile of rubble right next to what today is the ticket booth. It marked one of the first uses of artillery in such a venture.

Turns out it wasn’t the sandstone that betrayed Franz, but the mortar. The counter-assault happened before the lime mortar could cure completely, and after enough battering, down it all crumbled. And down went Franz, one of the most notable figures of the Reformation – the last knight.

It was very surreal standing in the spot where Franz met his end and looking at how thick those walls are!

After his death in 1523, his sons rebuilt the castle in the Renaissance style, but eventually the French came and tore most of it down. The borderlands of modern Germany and France battled continually, and the lines between the countries went back and forth many times.

Visiting Nanstein Castle

⌚️ How Long Does it Take to Visit Nanstein Castle

Allow about 2 hours to explore the castle with the audioguide, and on your own. And tack on some extra time if you want to relax in the beautiful beer garden and enjoy a bite, a drink, and the best view in town.

🍺 Amenities

Food and drink is available in the beer garden, and there are restrooms on site.

🅿️ Parking for Nanstein Castle

You can either park at the bottom of the hill and hike up, or drive the narrow road and park at the top. The road is a bit tight, but unless you are in a really wide vehicle, you should be able to pass another car no problem.

🎧 Should You Get the Audioguide?

I’ve been disappointed by audioguides from one end of Europe to the other, but Nanstein Castle’s audio gets an A! The machine worked, the explanations were clear and interesting, pronunciation was understandable and the guide is available in English. You don’t want to miss the colorful stories and explanations of the various rooms that still remain in historic Nanstein Castle.

⏰ Nanstein Castle Opening Hours

Nanstein Castle is open Tuesdays – Sundays from 10am to 4pm, and from 10-6 during peak months of April to September. The castle is closed during December and January.

🎟️ Nanstein Castle Admission

Admission is €4 for adults, and €8 for a family pass with 2 adults and children included.

Check out the Burg (Castle) Nanstein website for more information, and click here for the current weather in Landstuhl.

For other great castle afternoons in the area, check out my posts:

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Jeanne — Award-Winning Writer & History-Loving Traveler

Jeanne is a New York Times best-selling author and national award-winning blogger who traded thirty years in Alaska for a life of exploring Europe with her loyal French bulldog. She writes about European history, culture, and dog-friendly adventures on The Adventure Lion.

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