Lichtenstein Castle - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Ancestral seat of the imperial House of Hohenzollern. The third of three hilltop castles built on the site, it is located atop Mount Hohenzollern. The third, and current, castle was built between 1846 and 1867 as a family memorial by Hohenzollern descendant King Frederick William IV of Prussia. No member of the Hohenzollern family was in permanent or regular residence when it was completed.

Family estate of the Swabian Hohenzollern family, a cadet branch of the Hohenzollern family, from which the German Emperors and kings of Prussia came. It was the seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and it dominates the skyline of the town of Sigmaringen. The castle rises above the river Danube on a towering chalk projection. It is about 200 meters (660 ft) long and up to 35 meters (115 ft) above the river.

Literally translated to "Blue pot", it is a spring that serves as the source of the river Blau. It is a drain for the Blau cave system, originating from a funnel-like shape with a depth of 21 metres (69 ft). The water's peculiarly blue color, varying in intensity depending on weather and flow, is the result of physical properties of the nanoscale limestone particles densely distributed in the water.

A 216.61 m (710.7 ft) telecommunications tower. It is the first telecommunications tower in the world constructed from reinforced concrete, and it is the prototype for many such towers worldwide.

The castle, dating back to the 10th century was originally surrounded by water. It was the residence of the Counts and later some Dukes of Württemberg. King Charles I of Württemberg and his wife Olga are buried beneath the castle church.

18th-century Baroque palace and is one of the last large city palaces built in Southern Germany. Public tours of the building are only permitted by special arrangement, as the building contains some government offices. The palace is located in Schlossplatz, the largest square in Stuttgart.