Live out your fairy-tale dreams in Germany.

Germany was once home to some 25,000 castles.

Yes, you read that correctly, 25,000.

Neuschwanstein Castle in autumn

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Think of it as their version of a planned development.

you could find them just outside popular cities or floating on island lakes.

These castles remain important parts of German life.

Castle Eltz in the valley of river Eltz

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Ready to see a few for yourself?

Here are just a few of the German castles you should probably add to your must-see list.

Eltz Castle

Eltz Castlehas endured more than most, including several wars, with minor damage.

An exterior shot of the Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg

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Althoff Grandhotel Castle

This former hunting chateauwas originally commissioned as a “grander” version of Versailles.

The hotel is now a member of Leading Hotels of the World.

Its 120 rooms and suites are tastefully done with leather upholstery and wooden desks.

The exterior of Sababurg, known as Sleeping Beauty Castle

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The hotel also boasts views of the Rhine Valley and a 3-star Michelin restaurant, Vendome.

All this is just 12 miles away from Cologne.

The castle has also been undergoing extensive renovations since 2018.

Clouds drift over the Wartburg.

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Wartburg

ThisNorman castlemakes quite a first impression.

Wartburg is one of the best-preserved medieval German fortresses, dating back almost 1,000 years.

The result is impressive.

Schloss Elmau, a luxury hotel at the foot of the Wetterstein mountains near Garmisch-Partenkirchen

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Visitors today can browse the halls filled with antique paintings and tapestries.

There is also a golf course, several restaurants, and a whiskey bar with live jazz.

Don’t let its beauty fool you.

Schwerin Castle at dusk

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The result is an unmistakably grand silhouette that shines like a crown amid the somber Bavarian Alps.

Inside, visitors can browse original paintings, stained glass, and military armor from medieval times.

The rococo castle as one of the three Dornburg castles is a gallant pleasure palace of the 18th century.

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The first light of the rising sun falls on the façade of Kronberg am Taunus Castle.

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Burghausen castle in the evening light

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Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps

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Autumn leaves frame Lichtenstein Castle in Lichtenstein, Germany

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The sun shines on Hohenzollern Castle, while the land behind it is covered in fog.

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