by D.C. Cushman

Created on: May 13, 2008   Last Updated: May 14, 2008

I found this hidden treasure in my DK Eyewitness Guide to Germany and loved it from first sight. If you are looking for a true castle experience, don't go frolicking off to fancy places like Neuschwanstein where there's not much to see and the tours don't show you even a quarter of the castle. Save you Euros and think again, only consider this time Ludwigsburg. For the paltry price of 13 Euros per adult, 6 per child (they also have family, group and concession rates) you can purchase an all inclusive package that will thrill you beyond belief. You get 3 castles, 4 museums and plenty of gardens for the cost of a dinner! It gets better too ... so wake up early to get to Ludwigsburg because the entire day awaits you with history, beauty, fun and more.

The main castle (Schloss Ludwigsburg) was built from 1704-1733. It is nicknamed the "Schwabian Versailles" with good cause, for the castle is a vast complex with many delights. Tours are given once daily in English, and 2 or 3 times a day on weekends. This tour is the main reason why I think so highly of this attraction. You get no less than 1 1/2 hours (sometimes longer) of a lengthy and detailed tour and history of the castle, its grounds, its residents and its history. You get to see an extremely large portion of the castle, wander through rooms, AND take pictures (a rarity in most museums and castles). At one point during the tour, you even get to see the "behind the scenes" quarters where servants worked and lived. What is even more wonderful is the fact that the castle is intact in its entirety. There was no damage during WWII, everything is authentic.

Apart from the main castle tour are the unviewed portions of the castle, in which you will find museums of fashion from the 17th century until present day (fun for all ages), a baroque gallery, a porcelain museum and the former apartments of the Duke. These museums are not guided tours, though you can rent an audio guide from the information desk for a fully refundable deposit. The guides come in English, French and German with hours of history and explanations. To use them is simple, and to have one is neccessary to understand most of the exhibits. Also, note that backpacks and large bags are not allowed into the castle tour, or the museums. However, there are a variety of sizes of lockers in the castle to rent (also refundable upon return of the key).

The gift shop is located in the castle directly across from the information desk, and has your basic tourist needs

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