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BURG HORNBERG CASTLE HOTEL
German Knight's Castle on the Neckar Valley

The Neckar River flows northward from industrial Stuttgart through Heilbronn where it winds lazily through the Odenwald Forest and the Neckar Valley (Neckartal) of slopes lined with wine grape vineyards and castles to Heidelberg, then onward through Mannheim to the meet up with the mighty Rhine. Germany’s “Castle Road” follows the river through this part of Baden-Württemberg from Heidelberg to Heilbronn where the idyllic mountain hills evoke a lost time.

Standing above a wide curve of the river the tower of Burg Hornberg stands sentinel over the barges which pass on the water below. This 11th Century castle was once the home of a German knight of curious legend, with a connection to Japan and comic books. Götz von Berlichingen lost one of his hands in a tournament and had it replaced with an artificial iron glove. It is suggested that the German knight Götz is the inspiration for the hero “Guts” of the popular Japanese Manga graphic novel series “Berzerk”. Legend or not, the grandson of Götz von Berlichingen sold the castle after his death to the Barons of Gemmingen who have owned it for twelve generations. Since 1953 the Gemmingens have operated a hotel and restaurant at this unique castle in a former stable. The main castle is for the most part a magnificent ruin with its original tower still intact, sitting atop a steep-sloped mountain, surrounded by grape vineyards on the riverside and dark forest on the other. The castle is easily reached by car, driving through the medieval stone gate into the courtyard, but parking can be tight if the restaurant is busy with locals.

The hotel portion of the Burg Hornberg takes up two floors in a cozy stone and wood beam building. The rooms are a little basic, more like a country inn, but with a warm lounge including suit of armor, private balconies looking out into the deep wooded forest slope, and steps across the medieval courtyard from the restaurant. The Burg Hornberg restaurant, which began in the stable and has been expanded with windows and an open air terrace looking out on the spectacularly romantic view of the Neckar Valley, offers a selective gourmet dining menu taking inspiration from regional dishes of Swabia and Baden, along with a selection of wines, including vintages from the castle's own vineyards. The wines of the von Gemmingen Weingut can also be purchased on the castle grounds.

The current Baron von Gemmingen runs the castle hotel and restaurant with personal attention, bringing his experience of managing major resort hotels home to the family business. The Hornberg Castle makes for a romantic stop on a Neckar Valley wine tasting tour, a river cruise, a central base for country and forest walks, biking, exploring the other castles and medieval towns of the Neckar Valley, Mosbach, Bad Wimpfen and Rothenberg where the “Castle Road” meets the “Romantic Road”. The Auto and Technical Museum at Sinsheim is about 45 minutes away (see Sinsheim Museum) and Heidelberg is about an hour along the winding road which follows the river bank through steep slopes (see Schloss Heidelberg). The other castle in the von Gemmingen family, Guttenberg Castle is visible across the valley and a short drive across the river. On the grounds is an Eagle and Falcon Sanctuary with daily shows of the magnificent birds (see Castle Guttenberg Knights and Falcons).

The Hornberg Castle and Restaurant are a popular location for romantic castle weddings (in its authentic gothic chapel), receptions and wine tasting tours with the spirit of Götz von Berlichingen not far away, watching over the modern day guests to his medieval knights castle, as one of his iron gloves hangs on the restaurant wall next to his portrait. Single rooms at the hotel start at a budget friendly €78 and doubles start at €110. © Bargain Travel Europe

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