About 40 km (25 mi) from Burg Hohenzollern, in the town of Sigmaringen, is the Sigmaringen Castle. Burg Hohenzollern is the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollerns, Schloss Sigmaringen is the castle where the princes and princesses actually lived. Today the castle is still owned by the Schwabian line of the Hohenzollern family and used as a museum and houses the prince’s administrative offices.
The castle was first mentioned in 1077. In the beginning it was a fortress and changed over time to be a beautiful residence. There are over 300 rooms in the castle. The one-hour tour takes you through only 20 of the rooms. The rooms are all done in Baroque and Rococo styles and still look as they did in the early 1900’s when Princess Josephine and Prince Karl Anton resided there.
of the Hollenzollern family. It is also how the German National Soccer Team gets its black and white colors, from the former colors of the royal family. Ever wonder why the Netherlands wears orange? Orange is their royal family color.
There are no English tours, but you can pick up a free pamphlet that translates the tour. The summer is very busy with tours of 30-40 people every 15 minutes. Early spring and fall are the quieter times and you may be able to pick up a small tour. We went in November and received a private tour in English because no one else was waiting.
Open February through November 9:30-16:30 (hours are extended in the summer, check the website). Open in December and January by appointment only.
Official Website
Their children affected history. One son, Karl, became the King of Romania. Leopold was offered the Spanish crown and refused because of pressures from Napoleon. This refusal sparked the Franco-German wars that resulted in the formation of the German Republic.
Highlights include one of the largest private collections of unique and rare weaponry, 500 year old tapestries, and the Princess’s bathroom (unusual to find in a castle).
Notice the black and white flags and colors displayed. Black and silver are the ancestral colors
Entrance to the Sigmaringen Castle
