Burghausen Castle the Longest Castle in Europe

1. Burghausen Castle: The Longest Castle in Europe
monkeysandmountains.com /burghausen-castle-longest-castle-in-europe
Vi e w o f B u r g h a u s e n Ca s tl e . P h o to co u r te s y o f B u r g h a u s e n Ca s tl e .
Unt il recent ly I had never heard of Burghausen Cast le. This is rat her surprising when you
consider t hat I consider myself a cast le af icionado.
With a claim to fame of being the longest castle in Europe, measuring in at an impressive 1043m long, and one of the
longest castles in the world. And get this – it’s located just over 110km east from Munich where I live. I was definitely
remiss, but upon hearing about it I was there the next day!

2. Not only is Burghausen Castle the longest castle in Europe, it’s also a magnificent example of a late medieval
fortification that is mostly in tact. Pretty impressive when you consider that it dates back to 1025 and was used by the
Dukes of Lower Bavaria until the late Middle Ages.
In
In n e r co u r tya r d o f B u r g h a u s e n Ca s tl e
addition to being considered the strongest fortress in the country, it also served as a court for the duchesses and was

3. home to their children, where they were also educated. Being so sturdy, it’s not surprising that the castle was also where
the Dukes kept their abundant stashes of gold and silver. Duke George the Rich wasn’t called “rich” for nothing!
Despite being the longest castle in Europe, Burghausen Castle isn’t all castle, it’s connected by six courtyards, with the
actual castle making up a relatively small part of the 1043m.
My
O n e o f th e 6 co u r tya r d s o f B u r g h a u s e n Ca s tl e .
favorite part of visiting Burghausen Castle were the views over the town of Burghausen – beautiful!
The

4. The
St at e
Vi e w o ve r th e to wn o f B u r g h a u s e n fr o m th e ca s tl e .
Cast le Museum is OK, but I was expect ing more f rom t he longest cast le in Europe. Only a small part of the
castle is open to tourists and compared to other castle tours it was just OK for me. Having said that though, if you like
art there is a large collection of huge Gothic panel paintings that illustrate the history of Bavaria. And entrance is only
€4.50 for a self- guided tour.
In

5. In
Dr a wb r i d g e to th e ca s tl e .
summary, I would def init ely recommend a visit t o Burghausen Cast le. Even J.P. my German husband who only
visits castles when I drag him thought “it was nice” – high praise coming from him! It’s a medieval architectural gem,
unique in how long it is and very impressive – at least from the outside. Insider t ravel t ip: Go across the river for the
best views of Burghausen Castle. I will add it to my list of favorite castles in southern Germany, of which
Neuschwanstein Castle , the castle that Disney was modelled after did not make the list. The town of Burghausen is also
worth wandering around. I especially enjoyed the colourful houses in downtown Burghausen.
Know Bef ore You Go t o Burghausen Cast le:
The castle is open daily except on Shrove Tuesday, December 24, 25, 31 and January 1st.
It’s open from 9:00 – 6:00pm April – September and from 10:00 – 4:00 October – March
It’s free to walk around the castle. A visit to the State Castle Museum costs €4.50 for a self- guided tour.
You can reach Burghausen Castle by public transportation. It’s just over a 2 hour train ride from Munich to the
Burghausen main station and then you take a local bus to the actual castle. The cheapest way to go is by the
Bavaria ticket, available for purchase at the ticket machines.
About Laurel
Laurel Robbins is a free- spirited adventurer, award- winning travel blogger at Monkeys and Mountains
Adventure Travel Blog. Many hats, one travel obsessed Canadian in Germany.