Medieval castle with museum Chairlift leads to the castle

Solingen · For visitors to Germany, castles have a magical draw. Burg Castle is only an hour away from Bonn, offering a chance to explore the medieval dwelling and also attracting visitors with special events.

 The chairlift takes visitors up to Burg Castle.

The chairlift takes visitors up to Burg Castle.

Foto: Jana Bauch

Burg Castle is in the heart of “Bergisch Land” - ideal for day trips from Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf. The castle dates back to the 12th Century, and was reconstructed beginning in 1890. With a museum for visitors, Burg Castle (in German it’s Schloss Burg) has become popular recently for special events as well. Tickets were sold out very quickly to the Harry Potter Festival coming up in May of 2018. And the Medieval Fantasy Convention will be held for a second year at the castle in August. A Johnny Cash cover band will play there on September 7 in the Knights’ Hall.

In 2016, around 170,000 people visited the castle. Of those, around 60,000 attended special events. 74-year-old Klaus-Dieter Schulz has been basically running the place since 2011 and he says of the impressive castle “The attraction is not just the building, it’s also the landscape with forests, reservoirs and pretty village centers.” Whoever travels to the castle from down below can take a chairlift all the way up, enjoying the view of the Wupper River valley below.

Getting there: For motorists, the best connection is from the A1 autobahn. For those using a navigation system, enter Wermelskirchener Straße 2 in 42659 Solingen. There is a large parking lot directly at the castle. For those parked below the castle, there is a chairlift available (but Eschbachstraße below is sometimes blocked due to construction work running to the end of 2017).

Gastronomy: There are a variety of snacks: waffles, cakes, pretzels and the like - for whatever the heart desires. One can stop in the Bergischen Zwieback-Manufaktur, the Cafe Rittersturz, Cafe Voigt, the Waffelhaus, Hotel Laber, the Torschänke, the Weinbar, the Restaurant Zur schönen Aussicht or in the nearby Kartoffelkiste in Höhrath.

Side trip: Take a ride on the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (overhead cableway).

For kids: From Burg Castle, one can reach the Brücken Park by foot. It offers mini-golf and a play area. One can also take the hovering ferry across the Wupper River, it’s driven like a trolley using people power.

Overnight tips: Directly near the Burg Castle are Hotel Laber (), Hotel Niggemann () and Hotel In der Straßen ()

In bad weather: A visit inside the castle is a must. Tours can also be arranged in English or other languages (0212) 24 226-26. The website notes that as is usual in old castles and palaces, the stairways can be narrow and uneven. Interiors rooms of the castle are not at ground level. Because of this, baby carriages/buggies cannot be taken into the museum rooms.

Opening times: From March through October, Monday 1 - 6pm, Tuesday through Sunday 10am - 6pm. From November through February, closed on Mondays, open Tuesday through Friday 10am - 4pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am - 5pm.

Prices: Adults: 5 euros, students: 4 euros, children 3 - 18-years-old 2.50 euros. There are also special group rates from 15 persons.

. (Orig. text: Fred Lothar Melchior)

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