Sigmaringen Castle

The Hohenzollern castle in Sigmaringen towers majestically atop a mighty cliff, overlooking the city of Sigmaringen and the beautiful countryside surrounding the Danube river. Once a medieval fortress, it has become over the centuries a grand residence rife with towers, turrets, alcoves and porticos, worthy of its Hohenzollern counts and princes. Your castle guide will give you a tour through the oppulent interiors; you will see splendid chambers and halls adorned with exquisitely inlaid furniture, rich Renaissance tapestries, paintings and chandeliers. You will hear about the turbulent history of the house of Hohenzollern which has ruled here for generations since 1535. Expecially noteworthy is the armory with its 3000 artifacts; it is one of the largest private collections of weapons and suits of armor in the whole of Europe. The castle also boasts a Prince's Museum housing a magnificent collection of German master- pieces of art, sculpture, glass-painting and arts and crafts dating from the Late Gothic and Renaissance times. Additional highlights include the prehistoric collection comprised of artifacts found in the Danube region from the Stone Age and up through the Alemannic Periods (10,000 B.C. - 700 A.D.) and the Royal Stables where numerous hunting, touring and gala carriages, sleighs and coaches are displayed to the public.