SIGMARINGEN CASTLE
Hohenzollern Palace on the Danube
When
one castle just isn’t enough build another. The historic ancestral
castle of the Hohenzollern dynasty is on a mountaintop
about 40 minutes away, but getting to a mountain castle takes a lot
of effort,
so better
to have the palace more accessable. The small village of Sigmaringen
in the Swabian region of Baden-Wurttemberg is just north
of Lake Constance (see Lindau
on Lake Constance) dominated
by the magnificent palace castle
of one of the
most significant families in Europe’s history. Aside from ruling
Prussia and Swabia, Carol I von Hohenzollern, son of Leopold I
became King of Romania. starting the
Romanian royal line until the communist take-over, and Kaiser Wilhelm
II was the last Emperor of Germany until the first world war kind of
ruined the whole aristocratic succession system for everyone. But just
because your country gets taken away doesn’t mean you can't keep
the house.
One
of the largest royal palaces still in private hands in continental Europe,
Sigmaringen
Castle has been the
primary residence of the Hohenzollerns
since 1535. The current castle, perched on a cliff overlooking the Danube
River flowing through the low mountain terrain of southern Germany's
Swabian Alb consists of architectural styles from the earlier fortress from the
middle-ages to a style referred to as “Jugendstil” with its red
tile
roof
and a massive wall of windows looking out impressively on the river below.
In
contrast to the other Hohenzollern Castle on its lonely mountain top
(see Castle
Hohenzollern), Schloss Sigmaringen
is nestled right in the town
of the same name on a crossroads of winding highways east of the Black
Forest. Guided tours are provided through the great cavernous bedrooms
and grand ballrooms,
with
a unique intimate view into the dressing habits of grand duchesses. The
palace is also a private museum with artworks, original furniture, tapestries
and clocks collected over centuries of grand living.
Other
curious signs of aristocratic personality to be found at Sigmaringen
is a hunting trophy room of
over several
hundred animal skulls primarily
all the work of one Hohenzellern Prince with lots of time on his hands.
Sigmaringen is also the repository of one of the largest private collections
of medieval arms
and armor of over 3,000 pieces filling a long hallway at the end of the
tour. Close
enough to touch, the collection display is ruined a bit by the wire fence
intended to protect the valuable collection
from curious hands. One special bit of history connected with the castle
are the rooms occupied briefly in WWII by the French Vichy government.
The modern day family no longer lives at the palace, so you probably
won’t run into a Hohenzollern Prince. They have another house just
outside of town, which I’m sure is also quite a nice place.
Visiting Sigmaringen Palace
Schloss Simaringen is open for
tours from February through November from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and
a little longer during the summer, and about an
hour and half drive from Stuttgart, Zurich and two hours from Munich.
The two Hohenzollern Castles are easily close enoug hto visit both
on the same trip. The gift shop has lots of middle ages knights and
damosel
gifts for the
kids. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Schloss Sigmaringen
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