20 Attractions to Explore Near Lichtenstein Castle

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.

Built by King William I of Württemberg to house the remains his second wife, Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. The remains of William I, Catherine, and their daughter Maria Friederike Charlotte, are housed in the mausoleum.

Covers the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand and the brands associated with it. The museum contains more than 160 vehicles, some dating back to the very earliest days of the motorcar engine.

Spread in an area of about 30 hectares (0.30 km2), it houses around 11,500 animals from around the world composed of roughly 1,200 species and roughly 6000 plants from all climates. Wilhelma receives gorilla juveniles rejected by their mother and reared by the zookeepers. At age 2-3, the gorillas are sent back to their original zoo(s).

With a display area covers 5600 square metres, it features over 80 exhibits, many rare cars and a variety of historical models.

Second tallest church in the world, after Sagrada Familia in Barcelona with a steeple measuring 161.5 metres (530 ft). Visitors can climb the 768 steps that lead to the top of the minster's spire. At 143 m (469 ft) it gives a panoramic view of Ulm in Baden-Württemberg and Neu-Ulm in Bavaria and, in clear weather, a vista of the Alps. The final stairwell to the top is a tall, spiraling staircase that has barely enough room for one person.

A former Benedictine monastery which was later used as barracks. The abbey church and the abbey library in the North wing of the abbey are open to the public, along with the the abbey museum, opened in 2006, located in the former guest rooms of the convent. The rest of the North wing and the adjoining buildings are now part of the University of Ulm.

A 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings spread in 32 ha (79 acres). It is the largest palatial estate in Germany and is a combination of Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, and Empire style architecture.

With an overall length of 1,250 metres and a top height of 20 metres, the treetop walk meanders through the beech trees, firs and spruces of the mountain forest. There is a 40-metre-high, architecturally unique observation tower here that gives panoramic views of the forest.

One of the best-preserved monastery complex in Europe, surrounded by turreted walls and a tower gate. The monastery's narthex, called "the Paradise", is the oldest example of Gothic architecture in Germany.

An archaeological open-air museum consisting of reconstructions of stilt houses from the Neolithic Stone Age and Bronze Age. It has a number of exhibits displaying archeological finds from the area and period.

Opened in 2002, it is 43.5 hectares (107 acres) in area, and it is one of the four most popular theme parks in Germany. The Miniland- one of the attractions in the park contains Lego reproductions of various German cities and rural landscapes.

An island in Lake Constance maintained as a garden island and a model of excellent environmental practices. The park landscape comes with views of the lake, and there is a greenhouse as well with a tropical climate and thousands of butterflies.

An extinct volcano with the ruins of a castle on its top. Hohentwiel began forming, along with the chain of volcanoes in the Hegau region, about 7–8 million years ago. Hohentwiel Castle, whose ruins are on top of Hohentwiel, was built in 914 using stone taken from the mountain by Burchard II, Duke of Swabia.

One of the oldest inhabited castles in Germany, located on a rocky outcropping ovelooking Lake Constance. Portions of the castle are open visitors on self-guided tours. The remainder of the castle is occupied by the descendants of Karl Mayer von Mayerfels from Munich who bought the castle in 1877.